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Hanyangling Mausoleum

Hanyangling Mausoleum is the relic left by the glorious Han Dynasty in Xian. As one of the greatest periods in the entire history of China , Han Dynasty lasted for 400 years in China. As a result, the members of the ethnic majority of Chinese people to this day still call themselves "people of Han. The language main Chinese people use is named Han language....

Hanyangling is the joint tomb of the fourth Emperor of Han Dynasty Han Jindi(Liu Qi )and his Empress. The time Liu Qi lived is the peak time for Han Dynasty. So no wonder why numerous treasures can be found in this tomb. After years excavation by archaeologist this museum is open to public in 2006. So far it's the only undergrand mausoleum in China.

he mausoleum covers an area of more than 10 square kilometers - nearly six kilometers east to west, and up to three kilometers north to south. The tomb is symmetrically constructed as tradition with the sacred road from east to west. The same as all the Emperors' Tombs, there are totally 81 satellite tombs of different sizes. Yang Ling mausoleum, standing at the western end of the sacred road, is about 32 meters high with circumferences of 670 meters and 238 meters at the bottom and top respectively. It looks like a topless pyramid. The tomb of the Empress is on the sideward. In ancient China it was the custom that an Empress, though she held much power, still be buried depart from her husband.

Around these tombs, there are tens of burial pits which contained thousands of terracotta goods: animals, wine vessels and human figures of servants,female and male warriors...for the after life. The nude and semi-nude, one third life-size, armless figures of warriors were placed in battle formation and formerly had wooden arms and clothesdisappeared over years.

Compared with Emperor Qin Shihuang's Terracotta Warriors in the same city, the Hanyangling Mausoleum's terracotta warriors are much short. The archaeologists also conclude that the Emperors in Han Dynasty were from south-eastern China and those people like small but delicacy goods.

The most special experience of visiting this museum is you are walking through a special glass tunnels in the giant underground royal tomb, which can makes you to see all the grave goods including terracotta army under your foot. All these warriors seems can bring you back to a magnificent empire more than two millennia ago.

Edited by Maggie Meng

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