Where are the imperial mausoleums of the Yuan Dynasty?
Qin Shihuang is the most extravagant tomb of all the emperors in China. He spent all the efforts and wealth of the world on it, and used all the daughters in the harem to build it. The towering tomb can be seen dozens of miles away, and inside the tomb Various palaces were built and all kinds of rare treasures were displayed. The tombs of the emperors of the Han, Tang, Song, Ming and Qing Dynasties were also extremely luxurious. Only the imperial mausoleum of the Yuan Dynasty remains a mystery. Although there is a Genghis Khan mausoleum in Yijinhuoluo on the Ordos grassland in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region today, it is only a place of worship set up by later generations; what is the real mausoleum where the body is buried? Where? Still can't figure it out.
In the old Mongolian custom, after a person dies, if he is not an important person, he is buried secretly in an open space they deem appropriate. During the burial, one of his tents was buried at the same time, and the deceased was seated in the center of the tent. A table was placed in front of him with a plate of meat and a cup of horse milk on the table. Also buried were a mare and her colt, a horse complete with bridle and saddle. In addition, they killed a horse, ate its meat, filled the horse's skin with straw, and tied it to two or four pillars. Thus, in another world, the deceased could have a tent to live in, a mare to nurse him, and he might breed his horses and have horses to ride on.
As for the important people, after they die, they secretly find an open place, where they remove the grass, roots and everything on the ground, and dig a big pit. On the edge of the pit, They dug an underground tomb, and when they lowered the body into the tomb, they buried him alive. They placed the slaves he loved during his lifetime under the body. The slave lay under the body until he was almost dead, then they pulled him out and let him breathe; then they lowered him under the body again, and they did this three times, and if the slave survived, then, He was henceforth a free man, able to do whatever he pleased, and became an important person in his master's tabernacle and among his master's relatives. When they put the dead man into the tomb, they not only threw the tent where he lived in the open space, but also buried all the other things mentioned above in it. Then the big pit in front of the tomb was filled up and covered with grass to restore it to its original appearance. Since Mongolian tombs have no tombs, no one will be able to discover these tombs in the future.
The burial of the Yuan Dynasty emperor was extremely secret. According to historical records, all emperors were buried in the so-called Qi Nian Valley in Mobei. The Mongols called this cemetery the "Great Forbidden Land". "Outline of the Golden History of Mongolia" was written by Bulohan Khaldun. Persian scholar Rashid's "Historical Collection" has repeatedly stated that Genghis Khan's forbidden area is in Burkhan Khaldun Mountain, his youngest son Baolei, and his grandson Meng Gehehan, Kublai Khan, Ali Buge and other descendants Also buried there. But it is also said elsewhere that there is the Great Forbidden Land of Genghis Khan in Budawenduer near the Xuelingge River. Except for Kublai Khan, Farewell Concubine Solu Yongteni and all other sect kings are buried here. There are many objections as to where the "Great Forbidden Land" of the Yuan Dynasty was located. For example, historical geographer Zhang Xiangwen believes that Genghis Khan's burial place is in Yijinhuoluo, Ordos; while the famous Mongolian historian Tu Ji believes that it is west of the Kelulun River meander and east of Tula'a in the present-day Mongolian People's Republic. , the sun of Kentish Mountain. When the Great Khan of Mongolia passed away, he was buried in a coffin. The coffin was "made of two pieces of cypress wood, hollowed out in the middle of the coffin, and combined into a human-shaped coffin. The body was placed in it, and it was painted with gold as a circle." No matter where the Great Khan died, he would have his palace in Mobei. In order to keep the secret and prevent people from knowing the exact burial place of the Great Khan, on the day of going to the cemetery, anyone who met on the way would be killed. When they arrived at the mausoleum where they were buried, the earth dug out of the cave was formed into lumps and arranged in sequence. After the coffins were lowered, they were covered in sequence. If there is any leftover soil, transport it to another place. The three mourning officials lived five miles away. After the burial, "thousands of horses were used to trample the slope. As soon as the grass was green and martial law was lifted, the slope was covered with flat slopes, and there were no traces of the imperial examination." A few years later, once the funeral participants died, no one knew the exact location of the burial place.
The Genghis Khan Mausoleum in Iginholo is a symbolic mausoleum. The Mongols kept the burial place of the Great Khan extremely secret, but the rituals of offering sacrifices were carried out openly and inherited.
Outside the tomb, he serves as the deity of the eight chambers and sets up a "chamber", that is, a "shadow hall". Mongolian custom favors white. The "Er Chamber" is composed of eight white tents, so it is also called the "Eight White Chamber" with built-in portraits. As a symbol of the Great Khan's mausoleum, it is for future generations to pay their respects and worship. The hidden "silver coffins" and "relics" are nothing more than symbols of sustenance. The separation of the burial place and the sacrificial place is mainly caused by the frequent movement and migration of the grassland nomads, especially during the war years. The land can be gained or lost at any time, so the burial place can only be kept secret to prevent it from being destroyed. However, the ritual of sacrifice cannot be abandoned and can only be inherited through symbolic mausoleums.
Due to the burial customs and secrecy traditions of the Mongolian people, it has become very difficult to find out the exact location of the burial place of the Yuan Dynasty emperors. With the passage of time, changes in place names and landforms, and the limitations of language translation, it has become very difficult. The location of the Yuan Dynasty imperial mausoleum has become a historical mystery.