Is there any historical introduction to Qin Ling?

Historical Records records: "Through three springs, copper is lowered into the coffin. The palace is full of officials, and strange utensils are moved and hidden. Use mercury to feed hundreds of rivers, rivers and seas, and imbue them with meanings. It has astronomical tools on it. "The underground palace is about 180,000 square meters in size, and the depth of the center point is about 30 meters." The cemetery is centered on the mound of sealed earth, surrounded by numerous burials. It is rich in content and unprecedented in scale. In addition to the famous burial pits of terracotta warriors and horses, and the pits of bronze chariots and horses, large-scale stone armor pits, a pit of 100 opera figurines, and civil official figurines were newly discovered. There are more than 600 pits and accompanying tombs, and more than 100,000 cultural relics have been unearthed during the archaeological work of the Qin Mausoleum over the past few decades. There are many cultural relic exhibition booths set up in the cemetery, displaying some of the cultural relics unearthed from the Qin Mausoleum in the past 20 years; a waterway exhibition area is arranged to reproduce the scientific and thorough drainage facilities in the cemetery at that time; I believe that with the progress of archaeological work, there will definitely be Bigger unexpected discoveries.

According to "Historical Records: The Chronicles of Qin Shihuang", the tomb was dug down to the underground spring, the base was reinforced with copper, and the coffin was placed on top... The tomb was filled with rare treasures. The key points in the tomb are equipped with crossbows with sharp arrows. Anyone who robs the tomb will be shot to death if they get close. The tomb is also filled with mercury, symbolizing rivers, lakes and seas; the top of the tomb is inlaid with luminous pearls, symbolizing the sun, moon and stars; fish oil is used to light lamps in the tomb to ensure eternal light...

Since 1974, in Three pits where terracotta warriors and horses were buried were discovered 1.5 kilometers east of the cemetery. The finished products were arranged in a glyph pattern, covering an area of ​​more than 20,000 square meters. 8,000 pottery figurines, hundreds of chariots, and tens of thousands of physical weapons and other cultural relics were unearthed. Pit No. 1 is the "Right Army" and contains about 6,000 pottery figurines and horses as big as real horses. Pit No. 2 is the "Left Army" and contains more than 1,300 pottery figurines and horses, as well as chariots. 89 vehicles. It is a mixed formation composed of infantry, cavalry, and chariots. It is also the essence of the Qin Terracotta Warriors Pit. Pit No. 3 has 68 warrior figurines, 1 chariot, and 4 pottery horses. The headquarters that commands the underground army. This military formation is the epitome of the Qin army's organization. In 1980, a large bronze chariot and two horses were unearthed on the west side of the cemetery. Arousing shock and attention from all over the world, these pottery figurines and horses organized according to the military formations at that time provided vivid physical data for the study of the Qin Dynasty's military organization, combat methods, and cavalry and infantry equipment. The discovery of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses has been hailed as "the eighth wonder of the world" and "one of the great discoveries in the archaeological history of the twentieth century." The realistic techniques of Qin Terracotta Warriors have attracted world attention as an art that connects the past and the future in the history of Chinese sculpture. The Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum of Qin Shihuang's Mausoleum has been established in pits 1, 2 and 3 and is open to the public.

The legend of Qinling Feng Shui

Lishan Mountain is famous for its unique hot springs and scenery. In the anniversary year of the Western Zhou Dynasty, King You of Zhou and his beloved concubine Bao Si performed a historical tragedy here, which caused the beacon fire drama to be played on the princes, thus ruining the Western Zhou Dynasty. According to legend, Qin Shihuang met the goddess in Lishan Mountain during his lifetime. During the tour, he wanted to play with the goddess. The goddess was so angry that she spat on his face. Qin Shihuang soon developed sores all over his body. Although this is a mythical story, it can be vaguely seen that Qin Shihuang and Lishan seem to have some fate. His cemetery was also chosen next to Lishan Mountain. Why was Qin Shihuang so obsessed with Lishan, a geomantic treasure land?

The ancients regarded the choice of a cemetery as a major event that would benefit future generations. Especially Qin Shihuang, a feudal emperor who wanted to spread his legacy to all generations, naturally paid more attention to the location of the cemetery. The reason why he was buried in Lishan Mountain was explained by Li Daoyuan during the Northern Wei Dynasty: "The First Emperor of Qin was buried in great lavishness, and a tomb was built on Lirong Mountain, named Lantian. Its yin is full of gold, and its yang is full of beautiful jade. The first emperor He was buried because he was greedy for his good reputation." Li Daoyuan's views are affirmed by most scholars in the academic world. However, some scholars have raised objections. Those who hold negative opinions believe that the selection of Qin Shihuang's mausoleum in Lishan Mountain was firstly determined by the etiquette at the time, and secondly, it was influenced by the traditional concept of "building a mausoleum according to the mountain". (See "Exploring the Origin of Qin Shi Huang's Mausoleum" and "Wenbo" Issue 5 in 1990.) Now from the perspective of Feng Shui, Qin Shi Huang's Mausoleum can be regarded as an ideal Feng Shui treasure land.

According to the "Shui Jing Zhu" records: "The water comes out of the northeast of Lishan Mountain, and its original source flows north. Later Qin Shihuang was buried in the north of the mountain. The water passed by and meandered. It turned from the east to the north. The first emperor built a mausoleum to collect soil. , the ground is deep, and the water accumulates into a pond, which is called a fish pond... The water in the pond flows northwest and passes to the north of the Tomb of the First Emperor. "It can be seen that the water in the fish pond originally came from the northeast of Lishan Mountain, and the water flows from south to north.

Later, when the Qin Shihuang Mausoleum was built, an east-west dam was built on the southwest side of the mausoleum. The dam is more than 1,000 meters long, generally more than 40 meters wide, more than 70 meters wide at its widest point, and 2 to 8 meters high. It is what people usually call it The Wuling ruins. It was this dam that changed the Yuchi water that originally came from Lidongbei into a northwest flow, passing around the northeast of Qin Shihuang's Mausoleum. In addition, on the east side of the cemetery, a constant stream of hot spring water passes by. According to the "Shui Jing Zhu": "There is hot spring water in the southwest of Yuchi Water, which has been used to treat diseases throughout the world." "San Qin Ji" says: "There are hot springs in the northwest of Lishan Mountain." It can be seen that the hot springs at that time corresponded to the fish pond water in the northwest. From this, it is not difficult to find that the Feng Shui characteristic of Qin Shihuang's Mausoleum is that it is backed by mountains in the south, and is surrounded by water on three sides on the east, west and north sides. Isn’t “surrounded by mountains and rivers” the feng shui treasure land specially chosen for Qin Shihuang’s mausoleum?

Why was the mausoleum located in Lishan Mountain?

Looking up relevant classics, the first person to explain this issue was Li Daoyuan, the author of "Shui Jing Zhu" in the Northern Wei Dynasty. He said: "The First Emperor of Qin had a grand burial and built a tomb on Lirong Mountain, named Lantian. Its yin is full of gold and its yang is full of beautiful jade. The First Emperor was greedy for its good name, so he buried it" ("Shui Jing·Weishui Annotations") ). This theory has been practiced in academic circles for more than a thousand years, and is considered to be the earliest and most authoritative view and is deeply believed. The explanation of "Shui Jing Zhu" seems reasonable on the surface. However, if we think carefully about it, it is still a question whether Qin Shihuang, as a 13-year-old child, knew about the U.S. dollars and jade in Lantian. Even if he knew it, the choice of the location of the mausoleum would probably not have been decided by the personal will of a nameless king. Therefore, it seems that the answer to this question should be found in terms of the etiquette at that time and the design intention of the tomb.

First of all, the establishment of the location of the mausoleum is closely related to the location of the tombs of previous generations of the Qin Dynasty. The ancestors of Qin Shi Huang and the Queen Mother are buried in the Zhiyang area to the west of Linzhang County. The choice of Qin Shi Huang's cemetery on Lishan Mountain to the east of Zhiyang was determined by the etiquette system at that time, because the tombs of ancient emperors were often based on the dignity of the place where they lived during their lifetime. Humble, arranged up and down. It is recorded in books such as "Book of Rites" and "Erya". "South, north, west is up." "The southwest corner is called this secret, where you respect your elders." The record in "Lunheng" of the Eastern Han Dynasty is more clear: "The west of the husband is the place of the elders and the position of the venerable. The venerable is in the west, and the humble is in the east... The husband's tomb is where the dead are hidden; the fields are where the people live." Food, house, and place for people to live, the three are related to people, and it is better to eliminate evil." Even the Empress Dowager Xuan in Zhiyang also hoped that her mausoleum could be buried between her husband and son, that is, "Look to the west for my husband, and look to the east." "My son" seems to be based on the principle that the elders live in the west and the younger generations live in the east. The ancestors of Qin Shihuang have confirmed that those buried in Zhiyang include King Zhaoxiang, King Zhuangxiang and Queen Mother Xuan. Since the tombs of the ancestors are all buried to the west of Linzhang County, Qin Shihuang, the younger generation, can only be buried to the east of Zhiyang. If the tomb is located to the west of Zhiyang, it would obviously go against the traditional etiquette. It can be seen that the choice of the Mausoleum of Qin Shihuang at the foot of Lishan Mountain completely complies with the etiquette of younger generations living in the east.

Secondly, the choice of the location of the mausoleum is also related to the concept of "building a mausoleum according to the mountain" at that time. Since about the Spring and Autumn Period, the monarchs of various vassal states have successively started the custom of "building mausoleums on mountains". Many monarchs' tombs either have their backs to mountains and rivers, or face plains with broad views. Some monarchs' tombs are even built on top of mountains to show their lofty status and the majesty of imperial power during their lifetimes. Qin cemeteries in the Spring and Autumn Period were also affected by this concept. Some were "buried in the Western Mountain" and some were buried near the Mausoleum Mountain. The Qin Cemetery during the Warring States Period still inherited the model of "building a mausoleum on the mountain", and the construction of Qin Shihuang's mausoleum on Lishan Mountain fully complied with the traditional concept of "building a mausoleum on the mountain." It is backed by Lishan Mountain and faces the Weishui River, and this area has a beautiful natural environment. In the entire Lishan Mountain, only the section from Lintong County to Ma'e in the east has a higher altitude, with undulating mountains and layers of mountains. Viewed from the north bank of the Weihe River, this section of the mountain range is symmetrical, like a huge screen standing behind the Mausoleum of the First Emperor. Looking south from the top of the mausoleum, this section of the mountain range is arc-shaped. The mausoleum is surrounded by mountains of Lishan Mountain. Integrated with the entire Lishan Mountain.

In short, the location of the Qin Shihuang Mausoleum not only conforms to the etiquette of younger generations living in the east, but also reflects the traditional concept of "building a mausoleum according to the mountain".

The Mausoleum of Qin Shihuang is located 5 kilometers east of Linchang County and about 37 kilometers away from Xi'an City. It leans on Li Mountain to the south and Weishui River to the north. Why choose a seat here? Some people believe that this is inseparable from the ancients’ superstition about geomantic treasures. In recent years, geologists have seen based on satellite pictures that the route from Jiaoshan to Huashan looks like a dragon, and the Mausoleum of Qin Shihuang is located exactly at the eye of the dragon's head. As we all know, there has been the saying of "putting the finishing touch" since ancient times. It was not clear for a while whether the ancients had the ability to "forsight" or whether today's people are too attached to others.

The Mausoleum of Qin Shihuang is approximately square, with a flat top and a slightly stepped waist. It is 76 meters high, 345 meters long from east to west, and 350 meters wide from north to south. It covers an area of ​​120,750 square meters.

According to preliminary inspection, the cemetery is divided into two parts: the inner city and the outer city. The inner city is square in shape with a circumference of about 3,000 meters. There are two gates on the north wall and one gate on each of the east, west and south walls. The outer city is rectangular in shape, with a circumference of more than 6,200 meters, and a gate at each corner. There are horse burial pits, pits for rare birds and animals, and pottery barrel pits between the inner and outer cities; outside the mausoleum, there are more than 400 stable pits, human sacrifice pits, prison pits, and tombs for people who repaired the mausoleum, covering a wide area of ​​56.25 square kilometers. . The center of the mausoleum is where the coffin of Qin Shi Huang is placed.

Since 1974, three pits of terracotta warriors and horses have been discovered 1.5 kilometers east of the cemetery. The finished products are arranged in a zigzag shape, covering an area of ​​more than 20,000 square meters. 8,000 pottery barrels, hundreds of chariots and more have been unearthed. Tens of thousands of physical weapons and other cultural relics. Among them, Pit No. 1 contains about 6,000 pottery horses and pottery horses that are as big as real horses; Pit No. 2 contains more than 1,300 pottery buckets and horses, and 89 chariots; Pit No. 3 contains 68 warrior barrels and war chariots. 1 cart and 4 pottery horses.

In 1980, a large bronze chariot and two horses were unearthed on the west side of the cemetery. This group of painted bronze chariots and horses, high chariots and an chariots, is the largest, most gorgeously decorated, most realistic and most complete ancient bronze chariots and horses found in China so far, and is known as the "Crown of Bronze".

In addition to the burial pits, the remains of a stone processing plant were also found in the Mausoleum of Qin Shihuang. The architectural relics include door anvils, column bases, tiles, ridges, tiles, stone waterways, pottery waterways, etc.

The scale of Qin Shi Huang’s Mausoleum is obvious, but is there a design blueprint for Qin Shi Huang’s Mausoleum?

According to the historical records, “He ordered Shui Xiangsi to convict 720,000 people from all over the world to build a mausoleum, and he carved out the regulations.” The construction of Qin Shihuang’s mausoleum was by no means arbitrary and must have been based on the design plan. It was built in a planned way. Looking at the history of the construction of imperial tombs in the past dynasties, it is not difficult to imagine the connection. The specific design blueprint is still under further study.

Who presided over the construction of Qin Shi Huang’s Mausoleum?

It is speculated that the Shaofu is in charge of construction, and the national mausoleum should be managed by him. Of course, the highest management superior is still the truth, but the truth is that the truth is handled by the young man. However, there is another problem here, that is, the Shaofu official was named after the unification of the Qin Dynasty. Whether there was such an official position before the unification cannot be verified, but whether there was or not, there must be an organization that was responsible for the civil construction projects of the palace. As for the name of this organization, it remains to be further verified.

How deep is the Mausoleum of Qin Shihuang? "Historical Records: The Chronicles of Qin Shihuang" says that it "penetrates three springs". The description of Qin Shihuang's Mausoleum in "Old Records of the Han Dynasty" includes the words "It's extremely deep" and "It's extremely deep and inaccessible". Some people believe that the Qinling Underground Palace is neither shallow nor deep, and the "three springs" mentioned in the book are nothing more than the "under the nine springs" that people often mention. According to "Lu's Spring and Autumn Annals": "If it is shallow, the fox will spread it, and if it is deep, it will reach the spring." That is, the deepest is the spring. In ancient times, due to technical limitations, it was not easy to construct under spring water. Moreover, if the underground palace was located below the groundwater table, long-term seepage of groundwater would definitely cause the underground palace to suffer "leaking" damage. The designers of Qin Shihuang and his mausoleum could not help but Take this into account. Of course, these are just speculations, and the specific situation is unknown.

What is the structure of the underground tomb of Qin Shi Huang’s Mausoleum?

Judging from the excavated remains of Qin Shihuang’s mausoleum, it seems that Qin Shihuang wanted to bring his palaces, mountains, rivers and other things to the underground world. To achieve this, it would be difficult to achieve this without building a vast tomb. According to the "Historical Records: The Chronicles of the First Emperor of Qin": "After the major event was completed, it was hidden. Zhongxian was closed, and the outer Xian gate was lowered. All the craftsmen were hidden, and no one came back." Here, both the Zhongxian gate and the outer Xian gate are mentioned, presumably There must be a Neixian Gate. This seems to indicate that there is a passage to the main tomb in the underground palace, and the craftsmen can only be closed outside the Zhongxian Gate. The place inside the Neixian Gate is where Qin Shihuang's coffin is placed. As for the length of the tomb passage, you can imagine it. If it is reasonable to say that there is a cave with a length of 300 feet, no wonder some people think that the cave of the underground palace of Qin Shihuang's mausoleum is south of the current artificial seal and reaches the main peak of Qishan Center - Wang. Under the peak.

According to archaeological exploration and the judgment of the location of the terracotta warriors and horses in the tomb passage, experts believe that the orientation of the tomb is west to east. This is a peculiar layout.

As we all know, in ancient my country, the south-facing position was respected. The tombs of emperors in the past were basically facing south. Why did Qin Shihuang, who unified the world, want to sit west and face east?

Some people believe that during his lifetime, Qin Shihuang sent Xu Fu to cross the Yellow Sea eastward to search for the fairylands of Penglai and Yingzhou. He also made many patrols in person, from Heishi in the east to Kuaiji in the south, and lingered in Langye and Zhizhu areas. All this shows his eager yearning for fairyland. Unfortunately, there was no news after Xu Fu's departure, and Qin Shihuang's wish to visit the fairyland in person came to nothing. Although he could not get the elixir of immortality during his lifetime, he had to face the east after death in order to pray for the gods to extradite him to heaven. This was probably the greatest wish of Qin Shihuang in his later years. Based on this, the Mausoleum of Qin Shihuang can only sit west to east.

Some people believe that the Qin State is located in the west. In order to show his determination to conquer the six eastern countries, Qin King Zhao Zhengchu built an east-facing mausoleum; The First Emperor of China was determined not to change the original intention of the design and construction of the mausoleum, so the mausoleum we see can only be oriented east-west.

Some people believe that the location of the Qin Shihuang Mausoleum from west to east is related to the etiquette and customs of the Qin and Han Dynasties. According to relevant documents, at that time, from the emperor, princes to generals, and even ordinary scholar-bureaucrats' families, the masters all sat west to east. Qin Shihuang is the only one in the world. In order to maintain his "respected position", you can imagine the orientation of the mausoleum.

In fact, it is not only the orientation of Qin Shi Huang’s mausoleum that is puzzling. According to investigation, most of the 917 Qin tombs that have been excavated in Shaanxi are oriented east-west. The 32 large tombs in Qin Gong Cemetery also all face the east. This feature of Qin people's burial style is more obvious in the early period. What was the reason that led the Qin people to adopt this eastward burial style? Scholars who insist that the Qin people originated from the East believe that because the East is the place where the ancestors of the Qin people once worked and lived, they have special feelings for the East. However, there is a long distance between the east and the west, and there are many powerful enemies in the distance. "The fallen leaves return to their roots." The hope of the deceased was very slim, so he adopted the burial style facing the east to show that he did not forget his roots. On the contrary, scholars who insist that the Qin people originated from the West believe that the Qin people adopted the burial custom of "heads facing the west" to show that they came from western China. But if the burial style with the head in the west and the feet in the east indicates that the Qin people came from the west, then does the popular custom of burial with the head in the north mean that they came from the north? Modern cultural and folklore researchers have put forward new insights. They believe that the Qin people's popular custom of burial with the head in the west is the same as the "bent-limb burial" they once popular, and is related to the ancient culture or some primitive religious beliefs in Gansu. related. For example, the "Baima Tibetans" explain the popular Western burials among their people: when the sun sets and returns to the west, people follow the sun. Perhaps the Qin people also had their own unique interpretation of their burial rituals. Nothing is known.

People often ask, why did Qin Shihuang bury so many clay figures and horses with him?

Some people believe that the Mausoleum of the First Emperor of Qin was essentially designed according to the requirements of the ancient etiquette system of "death as life". Because after Qin Shihuang ascended the throne, he spent most of his energy and time on the war to unify the country. At that time, he led thousands of troops to conquer the north and south, thus annexing the six countries and unifying the world. In order to show his achievements during his lifetime, it seems inevitable to be buried with him in the form of an army.

Most scholars believe that the Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses are part of Qin Shi Huang’s mausoleum and reflect Qin Shi Huang’s military situation during his lifetime, but they have different opinions on specific issues.

One view is that the large group sculptures of the Qin Dynasty army unearthed in Qin Tongkeng are a symbol of Qin Shihuang’s creation and strengthening of centralization; An image record of powerful military strength. In a certain sense, it can also be said that it is the symbol of Qin Shihuang's eastern patrol.

One view is that the Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses pit symbolizes the army stationed outside the capital, which can be called the Su Wei Army. The No. 1 terracotta warriors and horses military formation with chariots and infantry alternately arranged is the right army; the No. 2 terracotta warriors and horses pit, which is mainly composed of chariots and cavalry, is the left army; the unbuilt abandoned pit is regarded as No. 4 pit, which is the proposed central army ; Terracotta Warriors and Horses Pit No. 3 is the shogunate that commands the right, left and center armies. The pit itself symbolizes the barrier for stationing troops. The three armies' defense of the capital was a reflection of Qin Shihuang's attempt to strengthen centralization and maintain unification.

One view is that there is no problem of Pit No. 4. The Qin Terracotta Warriors Army Formation is a military formation composed of regular and strange troops and headquarters, thus denying the theory of three armies.

One view is that the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Army Formation in Qin Shihuang’s Mausoleum is an unfinished project, and there should be 50,000 terracotta warriors and horses pits when completed.

This huge military formation is equipped with troops in front, back, left, right and center. It is actually the most basic square formation among the eight formations practiced by "Chengzhi" in the Qin Dynasty. One of the characteristics of the phalanx formation is that it is "thin in the center but thick in the square". The central army has fewer and fewer troops, and the four outer teams that contact the enemy have more troops. The Qin Terracotta Army's military formation deployed its troops according to the square formation method of "thin in the middle and thick in the square".

One view is that the three pits of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses do not symbolize the left, center and right armies, but reflect the three components of the Central Army of the Qin Dynasty. Pit No. 3 is by no means what people usually call a headquarters. It should symbolize the palace guards Lang Wei under the command of Lang Zhongling; Pit No. 1 reflects the palace guards under the command of the guards, or the Southern Army; Pit No. 2 reflects the The garrison troops in the capital commanded by the lieutenant can be called the Northern Army.

As for Pit No. 3, some people think that it is the Junwu Shezong, which is used for military sacrifices. It is the place where the owner and the relocated owner who are the objects of ancestor worship in the army and the two owners of the ancestors are placed.

For Pit No. 2, some people proposed that it is a four-beast formation, that is, the bent soldier formation is the Zhuniao formation, the mixed formation of chariots, infantry, and cavalry is the Xuanwu formation, and the formation composed of cavalry and chariots is the Qinglong formation. The chariot formation is the White Tiger Formation.

Some scholars believe that the terracotta warriors and horses military formation is the "permanent formation" mentioned in "Wei Suzi".

Some scholars believe that the terracotta warriors and horses are the group of warriors who buried the First Emperor.

The exact purpose of building the Terracotta Warriors and Horses array cannot be confirmed for the time being.

The great man Qin Shihuang has many mysteries hidden in his tomb.

“The underground palace of the Qin Emperor’s Mausoleum is under the sealing mound!” At the Qin Shi Huang’s Mausoleum Archaeological Remote Sensing and Geophysical Technology Achievements Acceptance Meeting held in Beijing, Duan Qingbo, leader of the Qin Shi Huang’s Mausoleum archaeological team, announced that the latest remote sensing archaeological and geophysical surveys showed that , the mystery of the layout of China's first imperial cemetery has been solved.

It is reported that this project is one of the national "863 Plan". This is the first time that archaeological work has been included in this plan. This is also the largest financial investment and the highest technical level in the history of my country's Qin Shihuang Mausoleum in Xi'an. underground archaeological exploration work. This archaeological exploration was launched at the end of last year. It mainly uses remote sensing and geophysical detection technology, which will not cause damage to the underground palace of Qin Shihuang's Mausoleum. In particular, it is the second time for hyperspectral remote sensing archeology to be used in the world, and it is the first time in China.

[Edit this paragraph] The tomb is about the size of a football field

The underground palace is the place where coffins and funerary objects are placed, and is the core of the Qin Emperor's mausoleum building. There have always been different opinions regarding the location of the underground palace of the Qin Mausoleum. There is an introduction to the depth of the underground palace of Qin Shihuang's mausoleum in the historical material "Han Jiu Yi": In 210 BC, Prime Minister Li Si reported to Qin Shihuang that he had brought 720,000 people to build the Lishan Mausoleum, and it had been dug very deep, as if It's like being underground. After hearing this, Qin Shihuang ordered "to move another three hundred feet aside". The saying "three hundred feet away" makes the location of Qinling's underground palace even more confusing. Folk legend once said that the underground palace of the Qin Mausoleum is in Lishan Mountain. There is an underground passage between Lishan Mountain and the Qinling Tomb. Whenever it is cloudy and rainy, "yin soldiers" pass by in the underground passage, and it is very lively. It is reported that archaeologists have conducted many investigations based on this legend, but they have never been able to find this legendary underground passage.

“We used remote sensing and geophysical prospecting methods to conduct detection. In fact, the underground palace is under the sealing mound.” Duan Qingbo introduced that the large-scale underground palace is located below the top of the sealing mound and its surroundings, 35 meters from the ground level. meters deep, 170 meters long from east to west, and 145 meters wide from north to south. The main body and tomb chamber are both rectangular in shape. The tomb chamber is located in the center of the underground palace, 15 meters high and the size of a standard football field.

Zhou Xiaohu, an engineer at the Environment Institute of the Remote Sensing Application Research Institute of China Coal Aeronautical Surveying and Remote Sensing Bureau, told reporters an interesting phenomenon: In early January this year, the temperature in the Mausoleum of Qin Shihuang dropped to minus 12 degrees Celsius, and the pomegranate trees on the mounds of soil were sealed. The pomegranate trees bloom and bear fruit normally, but the pomegranate trees outside the south wall of the sealed mound are severely damaged by frost and cannot bloom and bear fruit normally. The difference is particularly obvious. "The soil outside the wall has not been disturbed, but the structure and moisture content of the soil in the sealed soil pile have changed. And because there is an underground palace underground inside the wall, the relative temperature of the soil is higher, resulting in differences in plant growth." Zhou Xiaohu explained.

[Edit this paragraph] The palace wall is strong and the tomb has not collapsed

During this exploration, the researchers found that there was a thick circle of fine rammed earth around the tomb under the sealing mound. Wall, the so-called palace wall. It has been verified that the palace wall is about 168 meters long from east to west, 141 meters long from north to south, 16 meters wide on the south wall, and 22 meters wide on the north wall.

"During the construction of the palace wall, in order to test whether the palace wall tamped with soil is hard, the construction workers will stand in the distance and shoot bows and arrows at the wall. If the arrows can penetrate the wall, the repaired palace wall must be torn down and rebuilt." Duan Qingbo It is said that the palace walls are made of multiple layers of fine soil, each layer is about 5-6 centimeters thick, which is quite delicate and strong. "What exceeded our expectations was that the top of the palace wall was even much higher than the ground in the Qin Dynasty at that time, going down to 33 meters below the current sealing soil. The height of the entire wall is about 30 meters, which is very spectacular!" On the inside of the earth wall, researchers Another stone palace wall was discovered. Duan Qingbo said that based on detection, it was found that there was no water entering the tomb, and the entire tomb did not collapse. "The Guanzhong area has suffered major earthquakes of magnitude 8 or above in history, but the mausoleum of Qin Shihuang remained intact. This is closely related to the strength of the palace wall!"

"This kind of palace wall is an unprecedented discovery. ! This new form of burial can be called the 'Qin Mausoleum Style'. It is still difficult to predict how much the Qin Mausoleum style palace walls will promote the study of ancient Chinese tomb systems.

[Edit this paragraph] There is a "waterproof dam" in the underground palace

In addition to the palace walls, researchers have discovered that there are huge drainage canals underground around the Qin Mausoleum.

Duan Qingbo said that the drainage channel, which is about a kilometer long, is actually a wall. The bottom is made of 17 meters of highly waterproof mud, and the upper part is made of 84 meters of loess. The scale is unimaginable. "The design of the drainage channel is quite clever. The terrain of Qin Shihuang's Mausoleum is high in the southeast and low in the northwest, with a drop of 85 meters. The drainage channel just blocks the penetration of groundwater from high to low, effectively protecting the tomb from flooding." Duan Qingbo said, "Historical Records" Among the "Through Three Springs" recorded in "Three Springs", "three" is actually an approximate number. In fact, it should mean that waterlogging was encountered during construction, so a drainage channel was built.

Duan Qingbo said humorously: "The people of Qin are so smart. The National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing, which is being built, also uses this method to solve the flooding problem."

[Edited version Section] History of Qin Shi Huang’s Mausoleum

Qin Shi Huang began to build a mausoleum for him in Lishan Mountain since he ascended the throne at the age of 13. After unifying the six countries, more than 100,000 people were recruited from various places to continue the construction until he was 50 years old. After his death, *** practiced medicine for 37 years.

According to historical records, the Mausoleum of Qin Shihuang was dug under the spring water and then reinforced with copper liquid. The tomb palace was built with palaces, pavilions and places for officials to meet, and was filled with rare treasures. In order to prevent theft, there are hidden arrows in the tomb that are ready to go off. The curved roof of the tomb is decorated with gemstones and pearls, symbolizing celestial bodies and stars; below is the geographical situation of Baichuan, Wuyue and Kyushu, with mercury injected mechanically to symbolize the endless flow of rivers and seas, with golden pheasants floating on it; inside the tomb is lit with whale oil Made of "eternal light". Giant terracotta warriors and horses are arranged around the mausoleum. The design of the mausoleum reflects the supreme power and majesty of the First Emperor.

In 210 BC, Qin Shihuang died suddenly on a sand dune platform (now Guangzong, Hebei). Two months after his death, the body was transported back to Xianyang and a funeral ceremony was held. During human burials, Hu Hai, the second emperor of Qin, ordered that all the maids of the First Emperor of Qin be buried, and the craftsmen who built the mausoleum were also buried in the tomb.

The Mausoleum of Qin Shihuang is famous for its grand scale and unprecedented rich burials. Everyone who cares about Qin Shihuang's Mausoleum is very concerned about whether it has been stolen. Judging from the entire ancient Chinese history, the last years of each dynasty were the most chaotic periods, with heroes vying for hegemony, bandits running rampant, and the entire society in a state of anarchy. This is a good time for tomb robbers to dig up tombs. Almost all tombs of past dynasties were stolen at this time. Xiang Yu's destruction of the Mausoleum of the First Emperor of Qin

According to records in the "Book of Han" and "Shui Jing Zhu", the Mausoleum of the First Emperor of Qin was destroyed by Xiang Yu in 206 BC. Li Daoyuan of the Northern Wei Dynasty said in his "Shui Jing Zhu" that after Xiang Yu arrived in Xianyang, he transported 300,000 people for 30 days but still had not finished transporting the goods. Later, thieves from Guandong stole the copper coffin. Later, some shepherds, searching for the lost sheep, rushed into the tomb with a torch, accidentally caught fire, and completely burned the tomb. It is said that the fire continued to burn for 90 days. It is said that the ground in the mausoleum area with a radius of dozens of miles has sunk several meters as some burial pits and tombs collapsed. In this way, all the above-ground buildings of Qin Shihuang's Mausoleum were gone, and the underground burials were also damaged to a certain extent. These records are supported by current archaeological discoveries. Almost all the burial pits and tombs discovered in Qin Shihuang's Mausoleum have been damaged by theft and fire.

After four years of the Chu-Han War, Liu Bang defeated Xiang Yu and established the Western Han Dynasty.

In order to win over people's hearts, in 195 BC, Liu Bang ordered the proper protection of Qin Shi Huang's Mausoleum and arranged for 20 families to live near Qin Shi Huang's Mausoleum to guard Qin Shi Huang's Mausoleum as mausoleum keepers. Since then, rulers of various dynasties and generations have also ordered the protection of the tombs of emperors of the Qin Dynasty. In the third year of Kaibao's reign (AD 970), Taizu of the Song Dynasty ordered Lintong County to protect and repair the Mausoleum of Qin Shihuang. Bi Yuan, the governor of Shaanxi in the Qing Dynasty, also erected a monument for the Mausoleum of Qin Shihuang.

However, the rich burials in the Mausoleum of Qin Shihuang will inevitably arouse the covetousness of various people. According to records, the Red Eyebrow Rebel Army at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the rulers Shi Le and Shi Jilong during the Wei, Jin and Hou Zhao dynasties, and the Huangchao Rebel Army at the end of the Tang Dynasty all robbed the palace under the tomb of the First Emperor of Qin. It may not have been stolen. Two bronze chariots and horses have been unearthed. In the ear room of the west tomb passage of the underground palace under the tomb seal. There are historical records that the underground palace of Qin Shihuang's mausoleum was burned and looted. If this is true, then the funerary objects along the tomb passage should be destroyed first.

Some people believe that Sima Qian wrote "Historical Records" just over a hundred years after Qin Shihuang was buried. Sima Qian's "Historical Records" has a special chapter on Qin Shihuang, but there is no mention of the destruction of the tomb. However, Li Daoyuan six hundred years later made a detailed account. This cannot help but be suspicious.

Based on the fact that the sealing soil layer has not been excavated, there are no signs of damage to the underground palace walls, and the mercury in the underground palace is regularly distributed, it can be concluded that the underground palace is basically intact and has not been seriously damaged or excavated. The theory by Ban Gu and Li Daoyuan that Xiang Yu dug a tomb and caused a fire in the underground palace is unreliable. It is estimated that Xiang Yu may have stolen and destroyed ancillary buildings of the cemetery. If this is indeed the case, the Mausoleum of the First Emperor will be a unique underground palace that can embalm the corpse of Qin Shihuang. However, since the corpse of Qin Shihuang has decomposed after his death, we will not be able to see his face!

Historical Records · Survey

The earliest historical document about the Qin Underground Palace is Sima Qian's "Historical Records": "When the First Emperor succeeded to the throne, he passed through the Li Mountain and conquered the world, and the world was full of people. 700,000 people were sent to pass through three springs, and copper was lowered into the coffin. The palace was filled with officials, rare objects, and strange objects. The craftsmen were ordered to make machine-made crossbow arrows and shoot at those who came close. The sea is imbued with the elements, with astronomy above and geography below. Use the mermaid ointment as a candle to survive for a long time."