Wu Zetian, the only orthodox empress in Chinese history, ascended the throne as emperor in an era of male dominance with her extraordinary courage and decisiveness. After her death, she was buried in the magnificent Qianling Mausoleum, which has remained unopened and untouched for thousands of years, and which hides many incomprehensible strange phenomena and protective miracles.
The mystery of the Qianling Tomb bears the brunt of the group of headless stone statues standing on both sides of the Shinto outside the Suzaku Gate. These stone statues were supposed to depict the image of a minister in the Wu and Zhou dynasties, but now the head has disappeared, leaving only the torso standing in the wind, frost, rain and snow. Although some skull fragments have been found, the distance from the mausoleum certainly adds to the mystique of this peculiar phenomenon.
Moreover, there is the wordless monument that evokes reverie. This monument weighs more than 100 tons and stands on the west side of Sima Road, which is in stark contrast to the inscription on the opposite side detailing the life exploits of Tang Gaozong. There is not a word on this boulder, which makes people can't help but guess Wu Zetian's hidden thoughts. In ancient times, when science and technology were not yet developed, how such a behemoth was transported into the mountains and erected is still an unsolved engineering miracle.
The most surprising thing about Qianling is the fact that it has survived countless attempts to steal and excavate but is still unharmed. Famous historical figures such as Huang Chao and Wen Tao have tried to get their hands on the Qianling Tomb, but they are either frightened by the cry of a terrible woman (such as Huang Chao) or frightened by sudden thunder and lightning (such as Wen Tao), but in the end they are unsuccessful. **Although Sun Lianzhong found the entrance to the tomb, he was never able to enter the main tomb. All kinds of supernatural legends spread, making Qianling a forbidden place for tomb robbers.
As for why archaeologists insist on not moving the tomb for 50 years, even if they have found the entrance to the tomb? Behind this is actually due to the careful consideration of cultural relics protection. The structure of the Qianling Tomb is special, and the excavation technology at that time was limited, in order to avoid the destruction of precious cultural relics, the prime minister also emphasized that the Qianling Tomb should be properly protected and the cultural relics should be strictly prevented. Therefore, the relevant departments of China did not rush to excavate it, but selectively opened several burial tombs for tourists to visit, so as to spread traditional Chinese culture and promote local economic development in this way.
Wu Zetian's Qianling Tomb is not only famous for its strange phenomenon of headless stone statues and wordless tablets, but also because it has escaped the coveting of many tomb robbers for thousands of years. To this day, Qianling still silently guards the secrets of that era, waiting for more mature technical conditions and a more prudent attitude in the future to unveil its long-sealed veil.