Qian Mausoleum

Qian Mausoleum

The Tang Dynasty (618-907) is a truly fascinating period of Chinese history, not only for its high culture but also the personalities that left their mark on the epoch. Not least of these were Emperor Gao Zong and his Empress Wu Zetian. It is not surprising that they should have had impressive burials and that in view of her powerful and dominating character that the Empress should have shared her late husband’s tomb. This is the only instance of a mausoleum shared in this way and of course, Wu Zetian was the only woman to have ruled China.

The Qian Mausoleum occupies a prominent site on the summit of Liangshan Hill some 80 kilometers (50 miles) northwest of the Tang capital, Chang’an (today’s Xi’an). The design of the tomb site replicates the city of Chang’an and in accordance with tradition is on a north-south axis. The southern approach is set between two smaller hills and the way to the Emperor’s tomb is lined with stone animals as well as human figures. These include horses and ostriches, winged horses and a pair of stone lions. In all there are 124 stone sculptures and these are reminders of the fact that the Tang was very much involved with trade and diplomatic exchange with the world far beyond China’s borders as there are distinct Western Asian and Greek influences in these sculptures.