The main mausoleum of Zhaoling is located in the northernmost part of the cemetery of the main peak of Jiuzhi Mountain, it is the joint burial mausoleum of Tang Taizong Li Shimin and Empress Wende's eldest grandson, more than 190 burial tombs take the main peak of Lingshan as the axis, and are distributed in the open area on both sides of the Lingshan and due south direction in the fan, like the stars guarding the north chen, the whole tomb group is exactly the same as the layout of Chang'an City, the emperor lives in the north, and the mansion of the courtiers and nobles is in the south, symbolizing the supremacy of the monarch ** emperor, that is, the arrangement of the burial tombs, It also embodies a strong patriarchal ideology of the monarch.
Zhaoling was designed and built by Yan Lide and Yan Liben, who were born in a family of engineers, and successively served as the master craftsmen of the Tang Dynasty, and its plane layout is not the same as the sitting west to the east since the Qin and Han dynasties, nor is it the system of latent burial in the period of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, but completely imitates the design of the establishment of Chang'an City, and firmly applies the funeral concept of treating death as life in the planning and design of Zhaoling. From the first burial of Empress Wende's eldest grandson in the 10th year of Tang Zhenguan (636) to the 29th year of Tang Kaiyuan (743), the construction of Zhaoling lasted for 107 years, and it is the largest and most funerary tomb in the cemetery of feudal emperors in China, and it is the most representative imperial tomb in the Tang Dynasty, and it is also known as the famous mausoleum in the world because of its huge influence.
Zhaoling is located in the northwest of Liquan County, Xianyang City, Shaanxi Province, the circumference of the mausoleum group is 60 kilometers, covers an area of 200 square kilometers, in addition to the burial of Tang Taizong and the empress Changsun, the burial tomb mainly has the eldest grandson Wuji, Cheng Yanjin, Xu Maogong, Wei Zheng, Qin Qiong, Wen Yanbo, Gao Shilian, Fang Xuanling, Kong Yingda, Wei Chi Jingde and other heroes who followed Li Shimin to create the foundation of the Tang Dynasty, and even the tombs of a large number of minority generals.
Tang Taizong Li Shimin founded the Tang Dynasty foundation in the long history of more than 1,000 years highly respected, Zhaoling has also been constantly repaired and sacrificed, a large number of cultural relics remain on the ground and underground, although these cultural treasures have been damaged to varying degrees, but it is still the physical witness of the early Tang Dynasty to the prosperous Tang Dynasty, is to understand and study the Tang Dynasty and even China's feudal society politics, economy, culture, foreign exchanges rare cultural relics treasure house, its historical value and research value can be called the pinnacle of Chinese tomb culture, famous all over the world"Zhaoling Six Horses"The stone carving stands in front of the south side of the tomb of Taizong of the Tang Dynasty.
The prototype of the Six Horses is the six war horses that Li Shimin, Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, rode when he moved to the north and south in the five years from 618 to 622, and they all accompanied Li Shimin on the battlefield. In order to warn his descendants of the hardships of starting a business, and at the same time to cherish the memory of the six horses that depended on him, Li Shimin issued an edict when he built the Zhaoling Tomb in the tenth year of Zhenguan (636), and "the horses I rode and helped those who were in distress were engraved with the title of the journal and placed on the left and right" to commemorate.
The six horses in the stone carvings not only symbolize the six major battles experienced by Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, but also commend his outstanding military exploits in the founding of the Tang Dynasty. The names of the six horses were: "Sa Lu Zi", "Fist Mao", "Qing Hu", "Shi Vachi", "Tel Lebi", "White Hoof Wu". These are obviously foreign names from Turkic and Persian, which also reflect the fierce cultural integration of that era and the magnificence of the Tang Dynasty. It's a pity that now we see the six horses of Zhaoling in Zhaoling are not the original, the carving is rough and jerky, and the image and temperament are really flattering, it is difficult to find the artistic charm that Yan Lide and Yan Liben brothers should have.
It is a pity that the "six horses" in the "Sa Lu Zi" and "Fist Mao" two stone statues in 1914 by the cultural relics dealer Lu Qinzhai stolen and sold abroad, now in the United States Philadelphia University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, the rest of the "four horses" were first moved to the Shaanxi Provincial Library, and later in 1950 moved to the Xi'an Forest of Steles Museum to the present, the current "Sa Lu Zi" and "Fist Mao" are made of plaster and cement replicas, the Chinese people look forward to the return of the Zhaoling Six Horses to the dream of reunion, There is still a long way to go.
Standing on the high mausoleum of Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, looking at the ditches and ravines that spread under the feet, presumably in the Tang Dynasty more than a thousand years ago, the vegetation here must be better than now, otherwise Li Shimin, who created the rule of Zhenguan, will not choose this place as his own century-old auspicious land, the wind, frost, rain and snow of the years have destroyed the above-ground buildings of Zhaoling, only those underground remains that escaped the robbery of tomb robbers, can show us the mind and bearing of that very diverse and inclusive era, Then let's go to the Zhaoling Museum to feel the atmosphere of the Tang Dynasty!
Zhaoling Museum is located in front of the tomb of Li Ji (Xu Maogong), with a collection of more than 4,500 pieces of cultural relics, which is a valuable material material for studying the politics, economy and culture of the early Tang Dynasty. There are three major exhibition themes in the museum, "Zhaoling Cultural Relics Essence", "Zhaoling Stele Forest", "Zhaoling Tang Tomb Mural", Zhaoling cultural relics from Zhenguan 14 years (640) to Kaiyuan 26 years (738) lasted for a hundred years, the number of cultural relics, the high level, the time span is really rare, not to see it is a pity.
The "Zhaoling Tang Tomb Murals" displays 88 exquisite murals unearthed from the Zhaoling Accompanying Tomb, which vividly and truly reproduces the aristocratic life of the Tang Dynasty. The mural lines are smooth, the colors are bright, the styles are different, and it is really the pinnacle of the art palace of the Tang tomb murals in our country. Zheng Rentai, Zhang Shigui and other tombs unearthed painted glazed terracotta figurines, is the predecessor of Tang Sancai, Li Zhen, An Yuanshou and other tombs unearthed Tang Sancai, majestic and colorful, graceful and luxurious, many burial tombs unearthed different expressions of Hu figurines and camel figurines. The Zhaoling Museum also preserves a line-engraved Tang Taizong statue tablet, from the image he looks too much like a Hu person, these all reflect the great integration and open-mindedness of various ethnic groups in China in the early Tang Dynasty.
Many familiar names in literary works such as "Romance of the Sui and Tang Dynasties", can find the corresponding historical relics in the Zhaoling Museum, and what is more shocking is the huge number of Chinese Tang Dynasty tombstones and epitaphs, those who worship the great calligraphers and celebrities of the Sui and Tang dynasties in the hearts of Chinese calligraphy lovers are gathered here, and when you see the tombstones and epitaphs here, you will feel the vigorous vitality of that era, read the wonderful and charm of Chinese calligraphy in the Tang Dynasty, and perceive the process of the development of calligraphy in the Tang Dynasty from thin and hard to thick. There is always an urge to bow down.
In the theme pavilion of "Zhaoling Stele Forest", Ouyang Xun's "Wen Yanbo Tablet", Chu Suiliang's "Fang Xuanling Tablet", Wang Xingman's "Zhou Hu Tablet", Yin Zhongrong's "Ma Zhou Tablet", Zhao Mo's "Gao Shilian Tablet", Li Xuanzhi's "Li Mengchang Tablet", Gao Zhengjun's "Du Jun Sui Tablet", Wang Zhijing's "Li Jing Tablet" and "Wei Chi Jingde Tablet", Tang Gaozong Li Zhi's Imperial Book "Li Ji Tablet", as well as Cheng Yanjin, Li Chengqian, Shangguanyi, Xu Jingzong and other famous historical figures, their tombstone epitaphs gathered here, It can really be described as "all the writers are celebrities, and the words are excellent".
I remember that day was March 8, 2017, the spring breeze has kissed the face of the people of Xianyang, Shaanxi, and I feel more sorry that I am still immersed in the cultural and artistic atmosphere, unfortunately the time is in a hurry The museum is going to close, and I can't enjoy the cultural feast, Yuanjia Village near Qianling is already overcrowded, and the Qianling Museum is extremely cold and depressed, which can not but be said to be the sadness of China's modern tourism, in-depth tour, quality tour, personalized tour, Let's start by guiding people to love and enjoy museums!