Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor
Location: Lintong County, Shaanxi Province
Date of Inscription: 1987
Criteria: C (i) (iii) (iv) (vi)
Emperors and rulers in ancient times always sought wealth and power for this
life and the next. Thus, Egypt has its world-renowned pyramids and China has
the mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang (259-210B.C.), the first emperor of the Qin
Dynasty (221-206B.C.). The mausoleum itself remains a mystery, as it has not
yet been excavated.
The mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang, covered with a pyramid-shaped mound of earth, nestles deep among tees some dozens of kilometers east of China's ancient capital city of Xi'an. It is a huge structure, built without stones by ramming layers of loess earth. Qin Shi Huang has been buried here for more than 2,000 years.
Qin Shi Huang is a noted historical figure in China. He ascended the throne when he was only 13 and took over the reigns of government at 22. Then he declared war to annex the six neighboring states and conquered them in ten years. In 221B.C., he brought the whole country under his rule and founded the Qin Dynasty, the first centralized feudal empire in China's history, and proclaimed himself Shi Huang Di (First Emperor).
The construction of Qin Shi Huang's tomb started immediately after he took over the government. With a mountain behind and a river in front, the tomb is favorably situated in terms of geomancy. More than 700,000 laborers were conscripted to build the tomb and the construction took 40 years. It was still not completed when the Qin Dynasty came to an end in 206B.C.
For more than 2,000 years, since the emperor died and was buried here in the autumn of 210B.C., the coffin pit has never been brought to light. According to Records of the Historian, written by Sima Qian during the Han Dynasty (206B.C.-220A.D.), the tomb was dug deep into the ground, below the water table, and was reinforced with bronze as waterproofing. In the coffin chamber, the ceiling was painted with the sun, moon, and stars, and the walls were painted with landscapes. The mausoleum contained a palace, places reserved for officials, and a large number of rare treasures. Mercury was used to create seas and waterways, and candles of whale fat illuminated the coffin chamber. Crossbows, mechanically triggered to shoot any intruder, were placed at strategic points.