Qian Mausoleum & Zhaoling Mausoleum

 Qianling Mausoleum (Qian Ling)

As the mausoleum of Emperor Gaozong and his wife Empress Wu Zetian, the only female emperor in Chinese history, Qianling Mausoleum is the best preserved Tang Dynasty Mausoleum as well as the most unique one.

Situated inside Liangshan Hill, 6 km (about 3.73 miles) away from Qian County and 76 km (about 47.2 miles) northwest of Xian City, the mausoleum was built in 684 B.C. and took almost 23 years to construct. 

Historical records said that there were originally inner and outer walls, four gates in each direction, countless halls and pavilions and marvelous stone carvings around the mausoleum. Now only the ancient stone carvings are still standing around the mausoleum. Altogether 114 statues of horses, lions, ostriches, servants and even foreign ambassadors as well as steles and ornamental columns in the mausoleum boast the glory and splendor of the Tang Dynasty silently. Qianling Mausoleum is also the best preserved mausoleum in China for it has never been broken into by tomb robbers.

To the southeast of Qianling Mausoleum there are many other tombs. According to historical records, 17 people were buried by the side of Qianling Mausoleum. Five of them had already been excavated, including the Tomb of Crown Prince Zhanghuai, the Tomb of Crown Prince Yide and the Tomb of Princess Yongtai. Many treasures such as splendid murals and Tang San Cai (tri-color pottery) were discovered in the tombs. Now all the treasures are well preserved in Qianling Museum in the tomb yard of Princess Yongtai.

 Zhaoling Mausoleum (Zhao Ling)

Zhaoling Mausoleum, the tomb of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), is the largest royal mausoleum in the world. Situated at Jiuzong Mountain in Liquan County, 83 km (51.5 miles) away from Xian City, Zhaoling Mausoleum covers an area of more than 200 sq km (about 49,421 acres) and consists of 190 other tombs. Royal families, ministers and generals, high officials of Emperor Taizong were buried after death in these tombs to accompany him.

Created over 107 years construction, Zhaoling Mausoleum is indeed an underground treasury. Large quantities of calligraphy, sculpture, paintings, golden and silver vessels, splendid Tang San Cai (tri-color pottery), vivid murals and stone carvings in the tombs etc. give us a good chance to learn and understand the culture, life and economy of the Tang Dynasty. The Zhaoling Museum in the center of this area was built in the early 1970s. Now, over 8,000 pieces of funeral objects from the tombs are preserved in the museum. Most of them are national treasures.

Although the Zhaoling Mausoleum hasn't been excavated, the glory and splendor of Tang Dynasty do attract visitors and archeologists every year.