Zhaoling Museum The intersection of history and reality

Mondo Culture Updated on 2024-01-29

In the northeast corner of Liquan County, Xianyang City, Shaanxi Province, there is a Nine Ridge (zōng) Mountain. This mountain is majestic, the tiger is in Weibei, the air covers the pass, and the second emperor of the Tang Dynasty - Li Shimin, Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, who created the prosperous situation of "Zhenguan rule", is buried here. Young and heroic, Li Shimin showed extraordinary military talent, and before the Yanmen Pass, he wisely retreated hundreds of thousands of Turkic troops. When he was 19 years old, he and his father and brother raised the banner of anti-Sui and created the Tang Dynasty. Subsequently, he leveled the heroes one by one and dominated the world. After ascending the throne, he implemented lenient government and good neighbors, and the Tang Empire became famous at home and abroad. The Tang Dynasty Zhaoling Mausoleum is destined not to be an ordinary imperial mausoleum, but a display of an emperor's great achievements.

When the Tang Dynasty was first established, its territory was still limited to the area of Guanzhong and Taiyuan, and other regions were still under the control of separatist forces. At that time, Li Shimin, the king of Qin, who served as the general of Tiance, took charge of the military talisman and began the process of conquering the east and the west and unifying the world. During the nine years, Li Shimin rode the "Fist Mao (guā)", "Shivachi", "White Hoof", "Teller Biāo", "Qing Hu (zhuī) and "Sà Lu Zi", carrying a giant sky bow in his arms, galloping on the battlefield, and finally completed the great cause of reunification.

In order to commemorate these six war horses, which were either dead or wounded, Li Shimin ordered the two brothers, Yan Lide and Yan Liben, to carve their images into reliefs and place them on both sides of the altar in the cemetery. Sadly, these six reliefs are now scattered all over the place. In 1914, they were crushed and shipped to the United States, where they are now in the University of Pennsylvania Museum. The remaining four pieces were also broken and boxed, but fortunately they were intercepted during the theft and are now displayed in the Forest of Steles Museum in Xi'an. Today, the six replicas placed in the cemetery are still telling visitors about the great achievements of Emperor Taizong in sweeping the heroes.

In 643 AD, Taizong also ordered Yan Liben to paint the portraits of twenty-four heroes in the Lingyan Pavilion, that is, the "Twenty-four Heroes Map", in order to remember the many heroes who fought the world together. Civil officials include Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, eldest grandson Wuji, Wei Zheng, etc., and military generals include Li Jing, Wei Chi Jingde, Qin Qiong, Cheng Yanjin, etc. These heroes gave advice to Li Shimin during his lifetime, assisted him in pacifying and governing the world, and after his death, he was buried in the Zhaoling Tomb by the emperor and accompanied by the king.

Today, those inscriptions and epitaphs that show the deeds of heroes stand quietly in the exhibition room of the Zhaoling Museum, telling Emperor Taizong's broad mind and harmonious relationship between monarchs and ministers. At the same time, Taizong's concubines, children and other famous ministers were also buried in the cemetery. Including the 24 meritorious heroes, there are a total of 185 burial tombs in the Zhaoling Cemetery.

During his reign, Taizong maintained friendly relations with other ethnic groups, and was affectionately revered as "Heavenly Khan" by the leaders of the surrounding ethnic minorities. It is said that at that time, 44 tribal leaders in the surrounding area were canonized by the Tang dynasty, and the Tang ** set up jī mí prefectures and other institutions in these areas similar to the administrative level of the interior. The long stone carvings of the 14 monarchs standing in the Sima Gate of Zhaoling are the friendly witnesses of the great unity of various ethnic groups in the Zhenguan period, the development of the Western Regions in the Tang Dynasty and the relations between neighboring countries. Among the 14 monarchs, there are the well-known Turkic Khan - Jieli, there is the Tubo Zampu - Songtsen Gampo who married Princess Wencheng of the Tang Dynasty, as well as the king of Khotan (Tiá N) in the Western Regions (Dū) Xin, and the king of Silla on the Korean Peninsula Jin Jindeok and so on. Nowadays, the erosion and destruction of the years have caused many stone statues to disappear or only the statue pedestal.

The great cause of Taizong and the majestic posture of Zhaoling have also achieved a famous poem by Du Fu.

Re-pass Zhaoling. From the heroes of the grass, the praise has been counted.

The wind and dust are three-foot swords, and the society is a cloth.

Yi Liang Zhen Wende, Pi Cheng Wu Wei.

The holy picture is vast, and the day of worship is glorious.

The mausoleum is empty, and the bear guards the cuiwei.

Peep at Songbai Road again, and see Wuyunfei.

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