In China's long history, the Yuan Dynasty was a very special existence, leaving behind many mysteries. One of the most striking is the mystery of the tomb of the Yuan emperor.
Unlike the magnificent imperial tombs of other dynasties, the tombs of the emperors of the Yuan Dynasty were very low-key. Neither experienced archaeologists nor tomb robbers with special skills have been able to find any trace of the tomb of the Yuan Dynasty emperor. What's the story behind this?
Speaking of this mysterious history, we must first know that the Yuan Dynasty was the first unified dynasty established by ethnic minorities in China's feudal history. His emperors followed a completely different concept of funeral from that of the Central Plains Dynasty.
As a horse people, the Mongolian people live in the steppe all year round, and their love for nature far exceeds that of other ethnic groups. When they die, they return to nature in a very simple way.
After the death of the emperor of the Yuan Dynasty, a whole piece of fragrant nan wood was generally divided in half, carved in the shape of **, and the size was only enough to accommodate the corpse. This practice is too simplified compared with the traditional coffins of the Han people, and reflects the extreme frugality in the design of the tombs.
After the coffin is completed, it is fixed with four **hoop strips, which not only maintains the dignity of the emperor, but also does not lose its solemnity. Then a deep pit will be dug somewhere in the grassland and the coffin will be buried. As for the excavated soil, it must be disposed of away from the cemetery so as not to leave any traces.
Officials also stipulate that the excavated soil must be stacked in order. After the burial, horses will be used to repeatedly break through the cemetery until there are no traces on the ground and the tombstone will not be installed.
Unlike in the past, the Yuan Dynasty had to stay five miles away from the burial ground for three years, during which time no monuments were erected, no trees were planted, and even excess soil had to be kept away from the same place. After three years, when the ground is covered with vegetation and no trace can be seen, the tomb keepers can leave.
The descriptions in "The Travels of Marco Polo" are even more mysterious. He said that all the Great Khans of the Mongols, including Genghis Khan, were traditionally buried in the Altai Mountains. Wherever they died, even if it was a hundred days away, their bodies had to be transported to Altai.
During the transport, the escort will use all the people they meet along the way as burial objects. For example, after the death of Möngke Khan, at least 2,000 people were killed as burials during the transportation of his body to the Altai Mountains.
Therefore, the location of the imperial tomb of the Yuan Dynasty is extremely secret, because everyone who knows it has died. Although this place in the Altai Mountains is mentioned in historical sources, it has been searched for many years without success.
And the Qiyuan Valley mentioned in the "Yuan History" may be a place worth exploring. It is said that 13 of the 15 emperors of the Yuan Dynasty are buried here, including the last Emperor Shun.
But so far, we have not found a single tomb of an emperor of the Yuan Dynasty. The mausoleum complex disappeared as if it had never existed.
Since the early Ming Dynasty, the question of finding the exact location of the Qilin Valley has puzzled archaeologists around the world for more than 600 years. Until now, we still have no clue.
The final resting place of the Yuan emperors is still an unsolved mystery, and no one has been able to determine its exact location. In fact, the charm of history lies in its mystery, and we should not rush to unveil it. Perhaps one day, these secrets will be discovered by accident.