Tomb of Emperor Jingdi (Han Yang Ling)

2021-10-26 15:17:00 , Source : The Government Website of Shaanxi Province

This tomb, also referred to as the Han Jing Mausoleum, Liu Qi Mausoleum and Yangling Mausoleum, is the burial place of the Han-dynasty emperor Jingdi (188–141 BC) and is quite possibly Xi’an’s most underrated highlight. If you only have time for two sights outside Xi’an, make it the Army of Terracotta Warriors and this impressive museum and tomb. Unlike the warriors, though, it's not inundated with visitors so you'll have elbow room to fully appreciate what you’re seeing.

Much influenced by Taoist precepts, Emperor Jingdi based his rule upon the concept of wuwei (nonaction or noninterference) and did much to improve the life of his subjects: he lowered taxes greatly, used diplomacy to cut back on unnecessary military expeditions and even ameliorated punishments meted out to criminals. The contents of his tomb are particularly interesting, as they reveal more about daily life than martial preoccupations – a total contrast with the Terracotta Army.

The site has been divided into two sections: the museum and the excavation area. The museum holds a large display of expressive terracotta figurines (more than 50,000 were buried here), including eunuchs, servants, domesticated animals and even female cavalry on horseback. The figurines originally had movable wooden arms (now gone) and were dressed in colorful silk robes.

Inside the tomb are 21 narrow pits, some of which have been covered by a glass floor, allowing you to walk over the top of ongoing excavations and get a great view of the relics. In all, 81 burial pits are believed to be here.

TIPS

1. Basic info

Address: Zhangjiawan, Weicheng District, Xianyang

Fee:	Entrance Charge: (excluding admiring images created by optical illusion) Mar. - Nov. : CNY 70; Dec. - Feb. : CNY 55
Opening Hours:	Mar. - Nov. : 08:30-18:30 (tickets available from 08:30 to 17:30); Dec. - Feb. : 08:30 - 18:00 (tickets available from 08:30 to 17:00)

2. Transportation

From Xi’an:

By Bus:

Take bus No. 117, 202, 207, 209, 228, 230, 236, 238, 263, 266, 267, 318, 336, 409, 509, 600, 609, K618, 619, 711, 717, 719, 723, 901, 932, Tourist Bus No. 10 and get off at City Library (Shi Tu Shu Guan) Station, and then take Tourist Bus No. 4 to the terminal Yangling Mausoleum of the Han Dynasty.

By Subway:

Take subway line 2 and get off at City Library Station, get out from Exit D and then you can find Tourist Bus No. 4.

From Xianyang:

Take Xianyang Bus No. 5 from Xianyang Railway Station to get there directly.