Some 1,400 years ago, a young girl, celebrated as China’s “most pampered child,” was laid to rest in a palace-like stone coffin, surrounded by her grandmother’s affection and a wealth of treasures.

Li Jingxun, an aristocrat from the Sui dynasty (581–618), also known as “Little Girl,” hailed from Longxi, located in what is now northwest China’s Gansu province.

Her story unfolded during a tumultuous period in Chinese history, marked by the transition from the fractured Northern dynasties (386–581) to the brief yet unifying Sui dynasty, which paved the way for the Tang era (618–907).

Her family wielded significant power: her great-grandfather was the renowned general Li Xian, and her grandmother, Yang Lihua, was the empress of the Northern Zhou and the eldest daughter of the Sui founder.

Raised and educated within the palace by her beloved grandmother, Li was cherished and nurtured into a gentle, obedient child.