Online Source of China's Qin Terracotta Warrior Army>> Emperor Qin's Vast Mausoleum/Tomb Complex- Ruling Afterlife

 

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Emperor Qin's Vast Mausoleum Complex- Ruling Afterlife

 

Emperor Qin's mausoleum is situated at the northern foot of Mount Li, some 20 miles (35 kilometres) east of Xi'an city. With the Emperor's grand mausoleum at the center, it is estimated 180 potential satellite burial pits and tombs scattered within the area of 56.25 square kilometers (approx 22 square miles). Among them there discovered the elaborate royal memebers tombs, bronze chariots and horses pit, rare birds and animals pit, servant pit, stone armor and helmets pit together with the enormous underground terracotta warrior army as the guardians. These suggest that the Emperor wanted to keep his empire with him even in his afterlife and firmly control all aspects – just as he lives.

It is no doubt that the Qin's vast mausoleum complex is a mass burial site with much more spectacular wonders to be uncovered. But large number of artifacts will remain untouched underground including the emperor's huge mausoleum itself. Precious artefacts - textiles and lacquer, for example are difficult to preserve once exposed to air. In fact the work to conserve what they have already excavated is challenge enough.

It was said that Emperor Qin began to construct the mausoleums complex as early as he was 13, once after he became the King of Qin. The mass project had taken some 700,000 workers and craftsmen 38 years to complete. One can imagine the difficulty facing to the China's megalomaniac first emperor: the huge quantities of raw materials - clay, water, timber, bronze - need to be accumulated; the thousands of teams of engineers, craftsmen and slaves had to be fed and housed...

What kind of systems of administration so early in human history could achieve such complexity? The tremendous mysterious on various aspects 2200 ago might remain a mystery forever.

 

The Sketch Map of the Qin Mausoleum Complex

 

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