Northwest of Xi'an City seat in Liquan County is a
thrusting peak named Jiuzong Mountain, on which lies the largest of
the Tang imperial tombs -- Zhaoling, the tomb of Li Shimin, Emperor
Tai Zong. Li Shimin (599-649) was the second emperor of the Tang
Dynasty, but its actual founder. His tomb is about 60 kilometers
from Xi'an and 22.5 kilometers northeast of Liquan County seat. Now
in front of the tomb of an attendant, Li Ji, and at the foot of the
mountain stands the Zhaoling Mausoleum.
Portrait of Tang Emperor Tai Zong (Li Shimin)
?? ?
Li Shimin was the second son of Li Yuan, Tang Emperor Gao Zu. In
626, Li Shimin staged a coup d'etat at Xuanwumen, killing his
suspicious and deceitful elder brother, Li Jiancheng, who was over
fond of wine and women and was preoccupied by animal-hunting;
taking the life of his younger brother, who plotted to murder him,
and forcing Li Yuan to abdicate.
Having ascended to the throne, Li Shimin carried out a policy of
reducing class and nationality contradictions to secure domestic
peace. As an administrator, he was noted for knowing his officials
well enough to assign them to appropriate posts, even placing
confidence in those whom he had defeated, including non-Han
officials, and putting them in key posts, even with promotions. He
encouraged his courtiers to speak out with their differing
opinions. Among these, Wei Zheng was the most visible in exhorting
the Emperor to "listen to both sides and you will be enlightened;
heed only one side and you will be in the dark." Li Shimin is
regarded as an outstanding statesman who strengthened the
centralized state power system and consolidated national unity.
During his reign, China experienced the powerful and prosperous
"period of Great Order (627-649)."
???
Upon his death, this great emperor was buried in Zhaoling.
Zhaoling was built high on Jiuzong Mountain, launching the practice
of Tang emperors building their tombs near mountain peaks. This
style of tomb looks much more impressive than do those of heaped
earth. This new practice was said to have originated in burying
Empress Zhangsun, who on her death-bed told Li Shimin to hold a
thrifty and simple funeral, saying "please bury me on the mountain
and do not heap the grave."
A distant view of Zhaoling, mausoleum of Tang
Emperor Tai Zong
???
An inscription by Li Shimin reads: "A ruler takes the whole land
under Heaven as his home. Why should he keep treasures within his
tomb, possessing them as his private property? Now that the tomb
has been built on Jiuzong Mountain with no gold, no jade, no slaves
or horses within and the household utensils all made of earth and
wood, thieves and robbers will cease their attempts, saving trouble
for every one."
??
It is clear, however, that to build tombs in this way was not
for frugality and simplicity but to demonstrate the ruler's power
and stature through the magnificent mountain and also to prevent
looting and grave-breaking. Therefore, when Empress Zhangsun was
buried, Zhaoling's site and name had already been decided.
??
The steep Jiuzong Mountain, 1,188 metres above sea level, faces
Taibai and Zhongnan peaks south across the Guanzhong Plain; while,
to the east and west, rolling hills and crisscrossing ravines
accentuate the towering peak chosen for Zhaoling. What makes it
more magnificent are the Jingshui River winding across the front
and the Weishui River flowing at the rear.
Construction of the tomb was a huge project, meticulous in
design and flamboyant in structure. The design was said to be
partly the work of famous Tang technicians and painters Yan Lide
and Yan Liben. Historical data tell us Zhaoling's underground
palace was tunneled into the mountain. The tomb passage, 75
zhang (about 230 metres) long, was guarded by five stone
gates. The tomb chamber, as luxurious as any, is flanked by eastern
and western wings in which are arrayed stone boxes containing
sacrificial objects.
???
All these were confirmed when Wen Tao, a warlord of the Five
Dynasties (907-960), opened and looted the tomb. He cut through to
the strongly built tomb, went through the passage and was surprised
that the palace in the middle of the mountain was "no less splendid
than the outer world" and "the coffin was in the main chamber and
in the two winds were stone platforms on which lay stone boxes
containing iron caskets with paintings and books of former
dynasties and handwriting of Zhong You and Wang Xizhi, all as fresh
as ever." Conceivably, there were quantities of gold and silver
treasures within, but Wen Tao, walking a line between explorer and
looter, dared not make it public.
??
On the surface, houses and refreshment halls were built to "let
the servants attend as before." Because the mountain range was too
steep to walk," a plank road, hundreds of meters high was
constructed along and up the cliff and 230 steps on it would bring
you to the gate to the underground palace." Thus we can imagine the
difficulty of its construction and how splendid the underground
structure must be.
??
Ruins of Zhaoling's surface structures were scattered around the
mausoleum. To the north was a sacrificial altar and gateway to the
spirit path. Within this gateway stood in a line of carved stone
images of fourteen minority chieftains of the "period of Great
Order," of which the only survivors are three inscribed pedestals
of Turk Khan Ashinasher, Yanqi King Longtu Qizhi, and Tibetan King
Nongzan. The carved stone "Six Steeds of Zhaoling" in relief, known
at home and abroad, were originally placed in the eastern and
western verandas within the northern gateway to the spirit
path.
???
The sacrificial altar was 53.5 meters wide and 86.5 meters long,
almost trapezoidal in shape. A wall and steps are still
recognizable. Due south are Rosefinch Gate and the sacrificial
hall. To the southwest was "Lower Palace" (popularly called
Imperial City), 237 meters wide and 334 meters long, surrounded by
a wall 3.5 meters thick. Large numbers of houses had been built in
that compound. According to the chronicles, 378 rooms were rebuilt
in 798.
Though none of the surface structures of Zhaoling survive today,
the stone tail of a sparrow hawk from the roof ridge, which was
excavated from the ruins of the sacrificial hall, was 1.5 meters
high, 7 meters long, 0.65 meters wide and weighed more than 150
kilograms. Expanding on that scale, it can be imagined how huge the
hall must have been and how magnificent the entire structure must
have looked, with its profusion of spacious halls and towers. Tang
poet Du Fu captured some of the flavor of Zhaoling in his poem
"Re-passing Zhaoling Mausoleum":
????
????????????????????
?????????????????????????
A line of tombs winds skyward up the slope
???
?????????????????????
Where mountain beasts keep to their leafy lair;
?????????????????????????
I peer along a pine and cypress lane
????
???????????????????
Only clouds of sunset hanging in the air.
Construction of Zhaoling started in 636 with the burial of
Empress Zhangsun and was finished in 649 when Li Shimin died. The
thirteen years of construction were very costly, both in manpower
and in material resources.
??
The full Zhaoling cemetery complex had a circumference of 60
kilometers, covering an area of 300,000 mu, and included
167 attendant tombs of nobles, distinguished court officials and
generals. Highest of all on the mountain, Li Shimin's tomb occupied
the commanding position while attendant tombs were placed on either
side, lower on the mountain, indicating the Emperor's
supremacy.
???
Each attendant tomb had its own archway and inscribed stone
tablet as courtiers felt honored to be buried with the Emperor. The
cemetery was covered w4th green pines and cypresses, huge Chinese
scholar trees and poplars, resulting in the name "City of Pines."
To describe the scenic cemetery, the late Tang poet Liu Cang wrote:
"Entering the site of the underground palace along the mountain
ridge, you will feel the chill of shady pines as if at
midnight."
?? ?
Reflecting the rigidity of the feudalistic patriarchal clan
system and the hierarchical social estate system, attendant tombs
differed in form and in position. For example, tombs of Princess
Chang Le, Princess Xin Cheng and Princess Cheng Yang, daughters of
Empress Zhangsun, as well as tombs of concubines, were located near
the Emperor's tomb on the mountain. Their structures were unique;
some had paired mounds at one end, others were topped by mound in
an inverted dipper shape and four earthwork mounds at each end
provided openings between them as gates or walkways. In contrast,
tombs of princes and princesses by concubines lay at the foot of
the mountain with simpler structure.
?? ?
To praise officials for distinguished service in the unification
wars to establish the Tang empire and in building up its political
power, Li Shimin granted favors through burial protocol. For
example, when Wei Zheng, favorite courtier of Li, died of illness
in 646, Li ordered him to be buried on the Fenghuang (Phoenix)
Hill, to the southwest of Jiuzong Mountain, and a pair of mounds
were built in front of his tomb, to make it more impressive. Li
also personally wrote an inscription for Wei.
?? ?
Also appreciated by the Emperor for his stalwart military
service, Li Jing's tomb was placed on the stairway grounds to the
south of the mausoleum with mounds in an area shaped like Yinshan
and Anyernaqen mountains whose adjoining parts tapered to sides of
two rectangles. The impression left by the structure is one of
rolling hills with the east part breaking off and the west joined.
These tombs show dearly that Li Shimin was anxious to enlist talent
into his service, without being bound by relationships or
seniority.
?? ?
Wei Zheng and Li Ji were good examples: both were ordinary
landowners in the peasant army of the late Sui Dynasty; they were
not only put to work, but were also given key positions. This
Personnel policy helped to develop the bureaucratic apparatus at
all levels, greatly strengthening the feudalistic power of the
early Tang Dynasty.
?? ?
Also buried in Zhaoling were chieftains of minority
nationalities in northeast China, such as Ashinasher, Ashinazhong,
Qibeheli, Zhishisili, Li Simo and others. All had rendered service
to the Tang regime. This was one of the methods Li Shirnin used to
consolidate the unity of this multi-national country and to
maintain close ties with minority nationalities.
?? ?
Constructed 1,300 years ago, Zhaoling no longer is ornate and
impressive, but large numbers of precious cultural relics still
remain on the surface and under ground.
?? ?
In the Tang Dynasty it was common practice to erect inscribed
stone pillars in front of tombs and to place engraved epitaphs
within tomb chambers. Excavations had originally found over 20 such
steles buried but upright at Zhaoling. Their existence had been
noted in works and collections of epigraphic specialists of the
Song and later dynasties. In recent years more steles have been
discovered and excavated and these tombstones and epitaphs have
disclosed a great deal of important historical data, with great
continuing value for reference.
??
Tang calligraphy occupies an important place in the ancient
Chinese treasure-house of culture and art. The stone engravings in
Zhaoling mausoleum provide excellent examples of the magnificent
panorama of early Tang calligraphy. Inscriptions in the handwriting
of such great calligraphers as Ouyang Xun, Chu Suiliang and Wang
Zhijing on tombstones of Wen Yanbo, Fang Xuanling and Li Jing,
respectively, were of high artistic value and attracted much
attention. Among newly unearthed pieces were handwriting examples
of Wang Xingman on Zhou Hu's gravestone, Li Xuanzhi on Li
Mengchang's and Jiang Xi on Jiang Xia's. Gravestones of Wu Guang
and Dou Lukuan contained handwriting of unknown author-ship.
?? ?
Each calligrapher had a unique style. Both Li Shimin and his
son, Li Zhi, appreciated Wang Xizhi's handwriting rendered in
running and cursive hand and they had left their handwriting on
steles in Zhaoling. Li Zhi's handwriting on Li Ji's stele utilized
Wang Xizhi's style -- elegant and free. Zhaoling could be said to
have assembled a profusion of early Tang calligraphy.
?? ?
Zhaoling's stone carving blazed many new trails and the
exquisite relief sculptures "Six Steeds of Zhaoling' were works
gaining highest praise of all.
?? ?
One poem goes: "On armored horses the Emperor won the world
under Heaven, and stone images of the Six Steeds are as
distinguished as their battle achievements.''
?? ?
Having carried Li Shimin through battle after battle and
distinguished themselves in action, the six armored horses, upon Li
Shimin's edict in 630 after Emperor Zhangsun was buried, were
sculpted into six stone steeds to commemorate the Emperor's
achievements on the battlefields and in memory of his beloved war
horses.
?? ?
"The best of their kind," the Six Steeds were carefully selected
from a good breed of Persian horses in the Western Region. Before
they were sculptured, renderings were first drawn by the great Tang
painter Yan Liben, who based the Steeds' images, names and
backgrounds on facts.
??
The "Six Steeds of Zhaoling" were carved on 2.5-metre-high by
3-metre-wide stone slabs and arrayed in rows on the eastern and
western verandas of the northern gateway.
???
First in the eastern row was Te Le Biao (fatty prince), yellow
with an off-white mouth, who had carried Li Shimin to suppress Song
Jingang. The second, named Qing Zhui (black-and-gray horse), gray
and white, was hit by five arrows in the chest while carrying Li in
battle with Dou Jiande. The third, named Shi Fa Chi (various red),
solid red, was hit by four arrows in the front and one on the back
carrying Li to suppress Wang Shichong and defeat Dou Jiande.
???
First on the west was Sa Lu Zi, a valiant, purple looking horse.
He was hit by one arrow in the front taking Li to calm the Eastern
Capital (today's Luoyang, Henan) and wipe out Wang Chongchong. Sa
Lu Zi was the only horse of the six who had a human figure carved
into his stone.
??
The "Biography of Qiu Xinggong" in The New History of the
Tang Dynasty reads: Qiu, bodyguard and general of Li Shimin,
excelled in horsemanship and marksman-ship and was very brave. In
the battle to seize Mangshan Mountain near Luoyang, Li, riding Sa
Lu Zi, personally led scores of cavalrymen on a charge to learn the
enemy's strength. In the end the only Li follower in sight was Qiu,
who was closeby.
Suddenly Wang Chongchong broke free and fired an arrow that hit
the steed Sa Lu Zi. Qiu turned, quickly shooting four arrows at the
enemy, all hits, halting their advance. Qiu jumped from his horse,
pulled the arrow from Sa Lu Zi, left his horse to Li and attacked
the enemy on foot. With sword in hand, he killed several and rushed
back to his emperor.
??
For this deed, Qiu's heroic image appears handsome and dignified
in the Zhaoling horse carving. A helmeted, curly bearded and war
robed, Qiu carrying a sword and, with an arrow bag at his waist, is
depicted pulling the arrow from Sa Lu Zi.
??
The second horse, named Quan Mao Gua (curly haired yellow horse
with black mouth), was hit by nine arrows carrying Li to suppress
Li Heida. The third named Bai Ti Wu (white-hoofed black horse),
pure black with four white hooves, was the Emperor's horse in the
fight with Xue Rengao.
??
The "Six Steeds of Zhaoling" carvings are rare cultural relics
and indicative of accomplishments of ancient China's sculptors.
Containing a variety of postures and expressions, succinct and
powerful lines and vivid shapes, these artistic works not only are
excellent examples of shaping and carving, but tell rich historical
tales. It is a pity that carvings of two of the Steeds, Sa Lu Zi
and Quan Mao Gua, were stolen long ago and now are preserved in the
museum of the University of Pennsylvania in the United States. The
other four are in the Shaanxi Provincial Museum.
?? ?
Large quantities of pottery figurines and various kinds of
utensils have been found in the few attendant tombs so far
excavated. Different types, such as painted pottery, glazed colored
pottery and three-color glazed pottery, represent differing styles
of different stages. Numerous caches of painted pottery unearthed
from the Zheng Rentai and Zhangshigui tombs are a new discovery of
great value. The brightly colored human figures display a variety
of postures; elaborate gestures, movements and facial expressions,
and clothing and decorations, give these pieces a subtle, but
lively look. Deserving of special attention are figurines of ethnic
minority people, reflecting the close relationships between ethnic
cultures in bordering areas and the culture of hinterland China.
Camels carrying silk cloth also are symbols of China's friendly
economic and cultural exchange with foreign countries during the
Tang Dynasty.
Three-color glazed camel dating from the Tang
Dynasty excavated at Xi'an
Three-color glazed horse and groom
?? ?
Ancient Chinese painting developed into a rich and colorful art
in the early Tang years. Large numbers of murals discovered in
attendant tombs in Zhaoling are in bright colors with
well-conceived layouts and depict diverse themes, most of which are
figure painting of nobles and their life styles: business travel,
singing and dancing, games, ladies-in-waiting and courtiers. In
technique, both lines and coloring are emphasized and in some
murals coloring was extended from face to clothing and utensils,
giving the tableau an appearance of complexity in design.
??
Also unearthed from Zhaoling were uncounted quantities of
articles, arts and crafts, including a specially made official hat,
most rare, from Li Ji's tomb. It is said that Li Shimin had
personally made three hats of this kind to award his most
distinguished courtiers and Li Ji was honored with one.
??
Zhaoling Mausoleum is an underground store-house of cultural
relics, with a mammoth treasure of objects of ancient arts and
crafts and other culture relics waiting to be discovered.
