Who is the number one mausoleum in the world?

Mid-Autumn Festival

Burning incense and asking the heavens

Memorializing and worshipping ancestors

Night Parade of One Hundred Demons, Lantern Festival

Today, Geography will take you to visit

The luxurious and mysterious tombs in Chinese history

——Imperial Tomb

Ling means a big earth mountain.

In the middle of the Warring States Period, in order to demonstrate the supremacy of the kingship

The king's tomb is as high as a mountain

later

Mausoleum is used to refer to the "tomb of the emperor"

It means "a special passage to heaven".

The magnificent imperial tombs are like history books.

Recording the prosperity and decline of various dynasties

The merits and demerits of emperors, the rise and fall of dynasties

All buried in

A mountain of evergreen pine trees and a place where emperors rest in peace

The glory and turmoil of the past all came to an end here

Mausoleum of the Yellow Emperor

"In ancient times, the Yellow Emperor died and was buried in Qiaoshan"

Legend has it that when Huangdi was 110 years old,

Ascend to heaven on the giant dragon sent by the Emperor of Heaven

The people bid him farewell with tears and buried his remaining clothes and hats at Qiaoshan

This is the Mausoleum of the Yellow Emperor, known as the "No. 1 Mausoleum in the World".

here

The vast northern Shaanxi plateau

Surrounded by the Yellow River rolling westward

It is like a cradle that is cared for by the "Mother River".

It is this huge loess "cradle"

It gave birth to the ancient civilization of the Chinese nation

It can also be inferred from this

Why have many places over the years

All are competing for the honor of "hometown of ancestors"

The crown of "Yellow Emperor's Mausoleum"

Always wear it on the head in Huangling County in northern Shaanxi

——This place was formerly known as "Central", which shows its importance

1961

The Mausoleum of the Yellow Emperor was listed as

The first batch of national key cultural relics protection units

Tied for first place in the ancient tomb category

The largest altar in China, the Zhonghua Hefu Altar, located in Zhulu, Hebei

Giant sculpture of a soaring dragon

Photo by Dong Guijun, from Chinese Heritage, October 2018

Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang

The Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang is the first imperial mausoleum in Chinese history.

Its huge scale and rich burial objects

It ranks first among all the emperors' tombs of all dynasties.

The mausoleum-to-cemetery system it pioneered

It effectively influenced the imperial mausoleum system for the next two thousand years.

Archaeological discoveries

The Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang is one of the most famous imperial tombs in ancient China.

Occupies a special and important position

It is an important window for the world to understand the splendid and glorious civilization of ancient China.

December 1987

Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum and Terracotta Warriors

Listed on the World Heritage List

◎ The huge mausoleum and the "insignificant" Terracotta Warriors and Horses Pit The Mausoleum of Qin Shihuang is located at the northern foot of Mount Li, covering an area of ​​about 56 square kilometers, equivalent to nearly 78 Forbidden City palaces. The Terracotta Warriors and Horses Pit, with a total area of ​​20,000 square meters, and the Stone Armor Pit, which covers an area of ​​more than 13,000 square meters, seem "insignificant" compared to the entire mausoleum. (Photo from "National Geographic China", June 2005)

From the underground palace, burial mound,

Buildings, city walls, burial pits, etc.

The omnipresent emperor concept can be seen

Its design concept reflects Qin Shihuang's personal

Confidence and pride in the centralized system under imperial power

The most important thing is

The display of the imperial ideal that transcends the emperor's personal desires

This view of life and death that integrates one's own destiny with imperial rule

It is also only found in the tombs of the Qin and Western Han emperors.

According to Sima Qian's Records of the Grand Historian

The underground palace of Qin Shihuang's Mausoleum was built through three springs

Full of luxurious funeral objects

There are hundreds of rivers and oceans represented by mercury

There are crossbows to prevent tomb robbery

The palace ceiling is decorated with astronomical images of stars

Simulation of the unified Chinese territory on the ground

There is also a perpetual lamp made of whale oil

It illuminated the entire underground palace and lasted for a long time...

Over two thousand years

The tomb chamber of Qin Shi Huang hidden deep underground

It has become one of the greatest mysteries in Chinese history and culture.

◎ The planned height of the Qin Shihuang Mausoleum is 115 meters. Although the height was not reached due to the war at the end of the Qin Dynasty, it is still more than 50 meters, covering an area of ​​nearly 250,000 square meters, the highest among ancient Chinese burial mounds. Its symbolic significance will undoubtedly make the emperor's power famous. Archaeological experts speculate that the underground palace is located below the middle of the mound. The tomb chamber is located in the center of the underground palace, about 80 meters long from east to west and about 50 meters wide from north to south. The main body has not collapsed completely. The height of the space inside the tomb chamber is about 15 meters. (Photo by Xia Juxian, from "National Geographic China" June 2005)

Qianling Mausoleum

The Tang Dynasty had 21 emperors

Except for the last two emperors (Zhaozong Li Ye and Aidi Li Yu),

All buried in the northern part of the Guanzhong Plain in Shaanxi

There are 18 mausoleums in total

Centered on the ancient capital of Xi'an

From Tailing of Emperor Xuanzong Li Longji in the east to Qianling of Emperor Gaozong Li Zhi in the west

Over a length of more than 150 kilometers

The 18 Tang Tombs are arranged in a diagonal line

In addition, there are

Yongkang Mausoleum of Li Yuan's grandfather Li Hu and Xingning Mausoleum of Li Yuan's father Li Bing

And hundreds of other tombs of royal family members and nobles

It constitutes a huge Tang Dynasty mausoleum complex.

Since Emperor Taizong of Tang, many emperors of the Tang Dynasty used mountains as their mausoleums.

Among them, Qianling Mausoleum is the most typical

At the foot of the main peak of Liangshan Mountain, northwest of Xi'an

Buried here are Emperor Gaozong of Tang, Li Zhi, and Empress Wu Zetian of Zhou

Numerous stone statues and the tall figure of Liangshan North Peak

Together they form the majestic and magnificent momentum of Qianling Mausoleum.

Qianling Mausoleum is an important milestone in the history of Chinese imperial mausoleums

It not only became a model for later imperial tombs to follow

Also because of the legendary lives of its two owners

Shrouded in mystery

◎ Three Mountains, One Scene, One Beauty Qianling Mausoleum is the most imposing of the 18 Tang Dynasty mausoleums. First of all, its beauty lies in its location. It sits on three peaks, cleverly designed using the terrain, just like a sleeping beauty lying on the ground with her head resting on the north peak of Liangshan Mountain and her feet on the Wei River. The three peaks of Liangshan Mountain in Qianling Mausoleum can be seen in the picture. The north peak is where the mausoleum is located, and there is a pavilion on each of the two south peaks. (Photo by Zhang Yongfeng, from "Chinese Heritage" April 2021)

Chinese Imperial Tombs

Qianling Mausoleum is the most special one

It is a large-scale cave with rich collections.

A man and a woman, two emperors, buried together in one room

And for more than a thousand years, it has remained intact.

This is extremely rare in the world.

According to archaeological discoveries made by archaeologists below the main peak of Qianling Mausoleum

Local Detection of Vertical Underground Palace

and the excavation of the tombs near Qianling Mausoleum

Experts speculate on the structure of Qianling Mausoleum

It consists of a tomb passage, a tunnel, a patio, and front and back passages.

And the left and right palaces

On the left lies Emperor Gaozong of Tang, on the right lies Wu Zetian

There are four stone caves on both sides of the front and rear passages.

The cave is filled with the most valuable treasures from the heyday of the Tang Dynasty.

Since the tomb passage of Qianling Mausoleum is intact

No new theft holes have been found yet.

Many experts believe that Qianling Mausoleum is the most important of the 18 Tang Tombs.

The only tomb that has not been looted

◎ Reversing the world but being speechless Emperor Gaozong of Tang, Li Zhi, was buried in Qianling Mausoleum. Wu Zetian personally wrote an inscription of more than 5,600 words praising the merits of Emperor Gaozong, which was written by Zhongzong Li Xian and was called the Memorial of the Holy Saint. Before Qianling Mausoleum, there were no monuments in front of the emperor's mausoleum, and no epitaphs were placed in the tomb. It was Qianling Mausoleum, or Wu Zetian, who broke this convention and became a model for later generations. Wu Zetian's last words were to give up the title of emperor and return to Qianling Mausoleum for burial. At the same time, a unique stele without words was erected, implying that she was highly respected and could not be written? Or did she wish that her merits and demerits would be judged by future generations? Everyone can have their own opinions, which is wonderful and speechless. The picture shows that the body of the stele is round and the head is square, and the head of the stele is entwined with a dragon. (Photo/Mi Li, from "Chinese Heritage" April 2021)

Ming Changling

“The mountains are majestic, and bloom in the first month of spring;

The air of the mountain is thick, and the flowers of the trees are full of vigour."

The Ming Tombs integrate architecture into the sky, earth, mountains and rivers

The real world and the spiritual world are mutually infiltrated and integrated

2003, Beijing Ming Tombs Special Zone

I did a serious self-assessment:

It is a creative achievement of an era.

A testimony to a vanishing civilization

A group of architectural art, monumental art

A wonderful example of the combination of architecture and landscape

An outstanding example of traditional human use

…

This assessment is almost

With the United Nations World Heritage Committee

The standards for applying for World Heritage are fully met

According to the regulations

Only one of the criteria must be met to apply for World Heritage status

The Ming Tombs were successfully listed as a World Heritage Site without any suspense

◎ The Thirteen Tombs in the Ancient Map This map of the Thirteen Tombs drawn during the reign of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty not only marks the auspicious places of the thirteen mausoleums and the life stories of their owners, but also shows the surrounding concubines' tombs, the sacred road, various sacrificial buildings, temples, and even mausoleum walls and checkpoints. The Thirteen Tombs were isolated from the world at that time, and seemed like a magnificent and peaceful valley of kings. (Photo from "Chinese Heritage" May 2013)

Changling - the center of the Ming Tombs

In Tianshoushan Mausoleum Area

Twelve Tombs Other Than Changling

They are all arranged around Changling

In addition to the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum in Nanjing

Changling is the largest mausoleum among the Ming Tombs.

then

Each of the Ming Tombs has a magnificent memorial hall.

——The Hall of Grace

Used for sacrificial ceremonies when visiting the mausoleum

The Changling Ling'en Hall is the only one left today.

The grandeur of the imperial tombs of the past is clearly revealed

The golden nanmu pillars in the hall are all rare and precious materials.

It is not rotten or moth-eaten, and the wood has a subtle fragrance.

Even the three main halls of the Forbidden City rebuilt during the reign of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty are inferior to it.

Zhu Di, the owner of Changling, renovated the mausoleum during his lifetime

The details of the regulations are similar to those of the Forbidden City palaces built at the same time.

Therefore, the Changling courtyard is similar to the Forbidden City.

Now let's go to Changling

People will pay attention to the layout with a front and a back circle

The biggest commonality among the Ming Tombs is this kind of plan layout.

The mausoleums of the Han, Tang, and Song dynasties generally had square walls.

The gates are open on all four sides, similar to a city where people live.

The Ming Tombs: a new form of cemetery

Actually, it was born out of the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum in Nanjing.

That is the tomb of Zhu Yuanzhang, the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty

It was invented in the Ming Dynasty and became a custom afterwards.

The front is for the morning, and the back is for the night.

The sky is round and the earth is square, implying the meaning of ascension and the unity of heaven and man

◎ Ming Changling
One afternoon in early spring of 1850, Kovalevsky, the custodian of the 13th Russian Orthodox Mission in Beijing appointed by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, visited the Ming Dynasty imperial mausoleum in Changping, Beijing. In his article, Kovalevsky described the Changling Mausoleum of Emperor Zhu Di of the Ming Dynasty as follows: "The mausoleum is surrounded by pleasant scenery. From the gate, you can see the buildings, mountains, hemispherical cedars, sky-high poplars, stone statues, pillars, roofs and painted eaves. The magnificent panorama of the mausoleum area is unobstructed. When the sunset burns out the last ray of light, everything is printed on the fiery red sky. The beauty of the scenery is never enough." (Photo by Mei Sheng, from "National Geographic China" January 2006)

Qing Tai Mausoleum

At the foot of Yongning Mountain, Yi County, Hebei

The last imperial mausoleum of the Qing Dynasty - Western Qing Tombs

Standing quietly

There are Yongzheng, Jiaqing, Daoguang, Guangxu

The resting place of four emperors and their concubines

November 2000

The Western Qing Tombs were selected by the 24th World Heritage Committee

Inscribed on the World Heritage List

Among them, Tailing covers an area of ​​about 5.1 hectares.

The earliest building, the largest scale and the most complete building system

It is the first of the Qing Dynasty Western Tombs.

View the Tailing Mausoleum from this perspective

You can especially feel it surrounded by mountains and shaded by twisted branches.

Magnificent and solemn momentum (Photo by Hong Yi, from "Chinese Heritage" April 2019)

Tailing

The emperor with the highest aesthetic taste in the Qing Dynasty is recognized

——The resting place of Emperor Yongzheng

It can be regarded as a perfect presentation of the oriental aesthetic paradigm during the heyday of the Qing Dynasty.

Tailing is the first tomb of the Western Tombs.

Modern architect and architectural historian Liu Dunzhen called it

“The largest scale and the most orderly regulations”

It can be regarded as a "model" of the tombs of the emperors of the Qing Dynasty

The most intuitive feeling that “model” brings to people is “beauty”

The Beauty of Tailing

The solemnity and grandeur displayed in its strict order

Compared with the gorgeousness of a single building

The construction of Tai Mausoleum focused on momentum rather than form

More on a macro scale

Perfect integration with natural landscape, harmony between man and nature

The Beauty of Tailing

Also in its individual monomers

All of them are the products of the standardization of the engineer-officer system.

But it can be used in small woodwork (ceilings, caissons, doors and windows and other decorative woodwork),

Between stone carvings and painted paintings

Showing the interest of craftsmanship

It also has a similar layout and form.

The elegant and solemn style of the imperial palace architecture complements each other.

◎ I-shaped composition

Looking down from the sky, from the gate of the mausoleum area - Dahongmen courtyard all the way north, through the sacred road, to the Dabeilou courtyard, it presents a "Wide"-"Narrow"-"Wide" "工"-shaped composition. This design will give people who are in it a rich and varied visual experience. (Photo by Wang Jiangshan, from "Chinese Heritage" April 2019)

who I am?

Where do I come from?

Where am I going?

Thinking about life

These three issues are always

When you enter the emperor's mausoleum

The beauty of mountains and rivers and the solemnity and majesty of buildings

It may make you think more deeply about life.

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Editor | Xiao

Source | National Geographic China