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 This
is one of the most impressive tombs, 85km northwest of Xi'an on
Mt. Liangshan. This is the joint resting place of Tang Emperor Gao
Zong and his wife Empress Wu Zetian. กก
Gao Zong ascended
the throne in 650 AD after the death of his father, Emperor Tai
Zong. Empress Wu, actually a concubine of Tai Zong, also caught
the fancy of his son, who made her his empress. Gao died in 683
AD, and the following year Empress Wu dethroned her husband's successor,
Emperor Zhong Zong. She reigned as an all-powerful monarch until
her death around 705 AD. กก
The tomb consists
of three peaks: the two on the southern side are artificial, but
the higher northern peak is natural and is the main part of the
tomb. Walls used to surround the tomb, but these are gone. Southwest
of the tomb are 17 smaller tombs of officials.
The grounds
of the imperial tomb boast a number of large stone sculptures of
animals and officers of the imperial guard. There are 61 (now headless)
statues of the leaders of minority peoples of China and of the representatives
of friendly nations who attended the emperor's funeral. The two
steles on the ground each stand more than 6m high. The 'Wordless
Stele' is a blank tablet; one story goes that it symbolises Empress
Wu's absolute power, which she considered inexpressible in words.
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Shaanxi
Terra
Cotta Warriors and Qin Shihuang Mausoleum, situated in north of
Lishan, a quiet place with beautiful sceneries, were uncovered in
1974. The mausoleum covers an area of more than 14,000 square meters
with 6,000 life-sized terra cotta warriors and horses. These soldiers
have been guarding the emperor's tomb, underground, for over 2,000
years. They are in a battle array, showing a readiness for battles
to defend the imperial tomb. All figures have a different look with
vivid details on their faces, postures and uniforms. It is possible
to tell who is in infantry or cavalry. Even their ranks can be judged
by their height. Terra Cotta Warriors enjoys a reputation of "8th
world wonder" and it has been listed on the World Heritage List
by the United Nations.
