Han Yang Ling Museum

The Tomb of Emperor Jingdi, or Hanyangling Museum, is a joint mausoleum of the Emperor Jingdi and his wife Empress Wang of the Western Han Dynasty (202BC – 9AD). It covers a total area of 20 square meters with the construction time as long as 28 years from 153 BC to 126 BC. All the relics are restored and displayed in a large scale history museum which uses modern technology to exhibit the ancient civilization and rich history. The excavations of the tomb were waged continuously in the last century. A large amount of colored pottery figurines and other items were discovered and contributed a lot to the historical and archaeological study, and have again and again given new surprises to the world. The whole tomb area is about 6 kilometers long and 1 to 3 kilometers wide, embracing the graveyards of the Emperor Jingdi and his Empress Wang with four entrance passage ways respectively. It also contains the northern and southern burial pits, the ritual buildings like the mausoleum temple, the criminals’ graveyards, etc. The entire complex is designed in line with the imperial concept and strict hierarchy, taking the Emperor’s graveyard as the very center. Many visitors who have been to Xi’an say that the Tomb of Emperor Jingdi is the place that impressed them the most, because unlike the rigidly protected Terracotta Warriors, people can appreciate the precious pottery figurines at close range with only a glass wall in between. Strolling on the glass walkways above the pits, one can have a clear look at the buried treasures in the shallow pits of the museum which are all well lit and dazzling. Impressive indeed.