Located
at the foot of the Mountain Li and 2 km west of the
Terracotta Army, is the tomb of the Qin Emperor that
the warriors were built to protect. This is a very
tourist oriented site and it leaves many people feeling
cold. Today, it is hard to imagine the incredible
glamour and grandeur that must have surrounded this
tomb in 221 BC.
Emperor Qin ascended the throne when he was only
thirteen years old and his reign is widely interpreted
as being one dominated by centralized rule and tyranny.
The terracotta army face eastwards, a reflection of
the Emperor's fear of eastern invasion. Although the
Emperor did bring peace to the eastern states and
unified China, he also ordered that all books be destroyed
(except those concerning the Qin dynasty) and implemented
high taxes to fund the Great Wall.Modern historians
have revised the opinion of the Emperor as a philistine
and dictator. They argue that the wealth of treasures
found in his tomb and the artistic value of the warriors
themselves are examples of high culture and artistic
talent.
Whatever the historical opinion, there is no disputing
that this was once an incredible and impressive Tomb.
Archaeologists believe that the tomb was originally
decorated with gold, silver and pearl . The artists
who designed and constructed the mausoleum were buried
alive with the Emperor and thereby forced to literally
take their secrets to the grave. According to the
Emperor's official biography, "The Emperor Qin
Shi Huang was buried at the foot of Mount Li. The
Emperor started to build his mausoleum as soon as
he came to the throne. When he unified the whole country,
the Emperor Qin Shi Huang conscripted more than seven
hundred thousand convicts to help build his mausoleum...
and install crossbows, which were automatically discharged
to prevent tomb plunderers."
How to get there: The easiest way to get to the Mausoleum
is to take an Eastern Tour from Xi'an or the Green
Bus No. 306 from the Bell Tower in Xi'an.If you take
the Green Bus you will have no tour guide but you
can travel between the Terracotta Army, the Mausoleum
and the Huaqing Springs in your own time.
Located
at the foot of the Mountain Li and 2 km west of the
Terracotta Army, is the tomb of the Qin Emperor that
the warriors were built to protect. This is a very
tourist oriented site and it leaves many people feeling
cold. Today, it is hard to imagine the incredible
glamour and grandeur that must have surrounded this
tomb in 221 BC.