The more legends about Qianling, the better
The Qianling Mausoleum looks like a woman lying down
The year 1958 seems very interesting to many people today. In that year, all the people played sparrows in the spring and made steel in the summer. , something to rejoice about. On November 27 of this year, less than 100 kilometers northwest of Xi'an City, the Xilan Highway from Xi'an to Lanzhou was under construction. Because the project required a large amount of stone, farmers near Qianxian County went to Liangshan Mountain to collect materials locally and blasted the stone with cannons. When the stones flying out of the air were scattered in front of the farmers, some knowledgeable people quickly connected this with Wu Zetian. As a result, the wind and rain tomb passage of Qianling Mausoleum was exposed to the broad daylight for the first time after being silent for more than a thousand years.
At the foot of Liangshan Mountain, 6 kilometers north of Qian County, Shaanxi Province, farmers work at sunrise and rest at sunset. The people there have long been proud of the fact that they heard that the land they live in is the mausoleum where Empress Wu Zetian rests, and that it contains countless treasures. For thousands of years, from Wen Tao who specialized in tomb robbing in the late Tang Dynasty and Five Dynasties, to Huang Chao's uprising army and Sun Lianzhong's elite troops, the excavation activities of Qianling Mausoleum have never stopped. The strange thing is that every time after encountering a strong wind, I can't stop in fear. In 1958, when farmers accidentally blew up the Qianling Mausoleum tunnel, the archaeological team followed closely and rushed to the scene. Based on previous excavation experience of Han and Tang tombs in Qinchuan, the archaeological team quickly launched an investigation.
Wang Luxiang: What is the biggest difference between the imperial tombs of the Tang Dynasty and those of the Han Dynasty.
Director Zhang: The imperial tombs of the Tang Dynasty and the imperial tombs of the Han Dynasty are actually two major stages in the development history of Chinese imperial tombs. Because of the Tang Dynasty imperial mausoleums, judging from the 18 mausoleums preserved in Guanzhong, 14 of them are mausoleums because of mountains.
Wang Luxiang: It’s on the mountain.
Director Zhang: It is on a mountain, because the mountain is a mausoleum, so this, its first mausoleum, the mausoleum dedicated to Emperor Gaozu Li Yuan of the Tang Dynasty, is basically modeled on the Han mausoleum system.
Wang Luxiang: Still raising the grave on the ground.
Director Zhang: Graves are raised on flat ground, so its own cemetery system has not yet been established. Since Zhaoling, it has been based on mountains as a mausoleum. So the mountain chosen by Zhaoling is a very steep one. The Qianling Mausoleum is a mountain with great restrictions on the design of its cemetery. In fact, the Qianling Mausoleum should be said to be a symbol of the maturity of the Tang Dynasty cemetery system.
After careful investigation, the archaeological team conducted a preliminary analysis of the Qianling Cemetery Site. The Qianling Mausoleum is the joint tomb of Tang Emperor Gaozong Li Zhi and Wu Zetian. The mausoleum is located on the main peak of Liangshan Mountain. The entrance to the tomb was filled with stone strips and poured with molten iron, making it as solid as gold. There is a gate on each side of the main peak, and the east and west peaks in the south stand opposite each other, forming a natural gate. There is a Shinto in the middle, and the entire cemetery is magnificent, which can be called a miracle among the Tang Dynasty cemeteries.
Wang Luxiang: When I came to this place in 1983, the most shocking thing was seeing the Qianling Mausoleum from a distance. It felt like a huge woman lying on the Xianyang Plain. , neck, then chest, then belly, and then even two legs, right?
Director Zhang: Yes, the part we are walking is almost equivalent to her abdomen.
Wang Luxiang: Her belly.
Director Zhang: The belly is still relatively high. It gets lower as it goes south, and it gets lower as it goes south.
Wang Luxiang: The architecture of the entire Qianling Park seems to be a bit like that of Chang'an City, right?
Director Zhang: Yes, yes, the first and third level means there is an outer city, an imperial city, and a palace city. Three levels, we have now entered the first level. We have already entered, and the frontmost gate is still to the south. It is still one kilometer away from this place.
Wang Luxiang: We are already in the outer city.
Director Zhang: We have entered the outer city circle. The Qianling Mausoleum actually formed a model of the mausoleum system. Later, the Tang Tombs, which were built as mausoleums based on mountains, basically followed the Qianling Mausoleum model.
Wang Luxiang: What kind of model is it and what are its basic elements and specifications?
Director Zhang: That is to say, first of all, he chose this mountain to be a relatively independent mountain, and then he chose to dig the hanging palace on the southern slope of the mountain, and built a circle around the mountain. The city wall of the cemetery wraps it up, and then there is a very long Shinto on the south side of it.
From the death of Emperor Gaozong, the construction of the cemetery, to the burial of Wu Zetian together, the construction of Qianling took 23 years. The amount of manpower and material resources consumed is incalculable. Some people say that every imperial tomb. It is both a paradise for the dead and a tomb for the builders.
Legend has it that the mausoleum site was chosen by Li Chunfeng, a Feng Shui master of the Tang Dynasty
Wang Luxiang: It is said that the Qianling Mausoleum built by Gaozong Li Zhi was not selected by Gaozong during his lifetime, but was chosen after his death. Is this what Wu Zetian sent people to choose?
Director Zhang: There is no clear record in the literature about who was sent to select the mausoleum, but from the perspective of the current mausoleum site, from the perspective of its environment and its terrain, even China From the traditional Feng Shui perspective, one is very good, one is site selection.
Wang Luxiang: Obviously the royal Feng Shui master did this job.
Director Zhang: Yes, it should be.
Wang Luxiang: Because his time happened to be when Chinese Feng Shui reached its peak in the Tang Dynasty. It can also be said that when Chinese Feng Shui developed to its peak, the most famous Li Chunfeng lived during this period.
Who is Li Chunfeng? Those who are familiar with the history of the Tang Dynasty will know that he is a legendary figure in the imperial palace and the royal feng shui master of the Tang Dynasty. Together with Yuan Tiangang, a great warlock who was well-known in the government and the public at that time, he selected a treasured place for Gaozong's mausoleum. Later, when they both returned to court, they both said that they had chosen a superior place for the emperor, which was in Liangshan, north of Chang'an. After Emperor Gaozong heard about it, he immediately ordered his veteran minister Changsun Wuji to go check it out. As a result, when Changsun Wuji came to Liangshan, he was so shocked that he couldn't speak for a long time.
It is said that when choosing the site for Emperor Gaozong, Yuan Tiangang used copper coins as a mark, and Li Chunfeng used a hairpin as a mark, each as evidence. When Changsun Wuji rushed there excitedly, he was surprised to find, Li Chunfeng's hair needle was evenly pierced into the square hole of Yuan Tiangang's copper coin. When he looked up and realized that the entire mountain looked like a woman, he felt faintly uneasy.
Qianling Mausoleum
Qianling Mausoleum is the joint burial mausoleum of Tang Gaozong Li Zhi (628-683) and Wu Zetian (624-705), the only female emperor in Chinese history. The largest and best-preserved mausoleum, the cemetery is located on Liangshan Mountain, 6 kilometers north of Qianxian County, Shaanxi Province, 76 kilometers away from the ancient capital of Xi'an, and 40 kilometers away from Xi'an Xianyang International Airport. In 1961, it was announced as one of the first batch of key cultural relics protection units in the country. In 2000, it was announced as an AAAA-level tourist attraction by the National Tourism Administration.
Qianling Mausoleum is called Qianling Mausoleum because it is located in the northwest of Chang'an and in the position of Bagua. The most eye-catching thing here is Wu Zetian's "Wordless Monument" which is famous for its "wordless". As for whether it is because Wu Zetian said in his last words that "the merits and demerits have been left for future generations to comment", so there are no words, or because Wu Zetian "has high morals and prestige, and cannot be judged". There is no sufficient historical data to support the formation of wordless monuments.
Specialties to eat:
Pot helmet: According to legend, when the Qianling Mausoleum was built in the Tang Dynasty, the project was huge and there were so many soldiers that it was difficult to cook. Some soldiers used their helmets to make pots and grill noodles. , quite delicious, this method makes it easier for the work to spread on the ground. Later, people improved and developed into today's "Guokui" steamed buns baked in a flat-bottomed iron pot. The current Qianzhou Guokui buns are made from fine wheat flour and made into a round cake eight inches in diameter and six minutes thick, which is baked over a fire. bake. After roasting, the appearance is yellow and white, and the inner flesh is layered. It smells fragrant and tastes sweet. It does not go bad after being stored for a long time and is easy to carry.
Noodles: Handmade with fine powder, as thin as hair, white, shiny and tough. First cook it in boiling water and take it out, rinse it in cold boiling water, then scoop it into small handfuls and make it into sour soup. Use egg cakes, tender leeks and cabbage hearts chopped into pieces as "floating noodles" and pour it on the cooked noodles. In Chinese, it is also called "soup noodles". It is sour, fragrant and delicious. It is said that during the construction of the Qianling Mausoleum, soldiers and migrant workers worked hard day and night regardless of the scorching heat or cold. In order to enable them to eat noodles, the local people put the rolled and thin noodles on bamboo poles to dry in the sun, cut off the bundles, and mixed them with the noodles. The sour soup was delivered to the construction site, and the soldiers and migrant workers were allowed to cook it in a pot and eat it after working. It not only relieved hunger but also quenched fatigue and thirst, and was regarded as a high-quality comfort meal. Later, some people improved the sun-dried noodles into hand-made noodles, and added "buoyao" to the sour soup, which became the "sour soup noodles" that are now widely circulated among the people.
Pancake: It is also a famous snack in Qian County. It is made with horse oil and dough, wrapped with rock sugar, green and red silk, and soft white sugar as fillings. It is fried in a pan and the cake will rise into bubbles. It is golden in color and fragrant. Crispy and delicious. It is said that Susu was originally a food in the palace. It was offered as an offering during the Qianling Mausoleum sacrifice in the Tang Dynasty, and then spread to the people.
Because horse oil is rare, large oil is often used instead.
Tofu nao: Legend has it that during the construction of the Qianling Mausoleum, soldiers and craftsmen ground soybeans into soy milk, boiled it and drank it. Later, someone accidentally dropped gypsum into the soy milk, and the soy milk solidified. Some people dared to taste it. Very delicious. After that, he deliberately added an appropriate amount of gypsum to the prepared soy milk to let it solidify, and a new food was born. Because its shape resembles the brain, it was named tofu nao. It has been passed down to this day.
Due to the special water quality of Qianxian tofu brain, it is white in color, soft and smooth, and does not fall apart when turned over or stirred continuously. In addition, the seasonings are exquisite. The vinegar is boiled with Daxiang and cinnamon, and the spicy noodles are boiled and diluted with vegetable oil. The spicy noodles are salty, spicy, sour, warm and palatable, with a fragrant aroma that tempts the appetite.
Li Zhi was not a "faint, incompetent, cowardly and mediocre" person as old historians called him. In the early years of his accession to the throne, he "carried the memory of the ages and learned from hundreds of kings" and determined to be the master of the Chinese Renaissance in order to build the unparalleled foundation of the Tang Dynasty. With the assistance of Changsun Wuji, Chu Suiliang and other senior ministers, he was conscientious in state affairs, courteous to virtuous officials, conscientiously implemented Emperor Taizong's Zhenguan regulations, reclaimed wasteland, implemented the land equalization system, and developed the imperial examination system; the population increased rapidly, social politics were clear, and the economy Prosperity, people live and work in peace and contentment, and foreign forces enter Central Asia. Therefore, history books evaluate the politics of Gaozong in the early years after he ascended the throne as "the government of Yonghui, the people of Fu'an, and the legacy of Zhenguan." After Li Zhi became middle-aged, he was "dazzled by the wind and his eyes were heavy and he could not see", so he appointed Empress Wu to handle the affairs of the government. Empress Wu took the opportunity to monopolize power and specialized in government affairs. "Power is at odds with other people." In the first month of 666 AD, Li Zhi and Empress Wu climbed Mount Tai to worship Confucius. This created a situation where the "two saints" were respected simultaneously in the Tang Dynasty. Prime Minister Shangguan Yi once reported the power of the harem and was imprisoned and executed. Li Zhi also felt deeply that his power was falling by the wayside, and was afraid that the Li family would be lost in his own hands. He wanted to enthrone the crown prince Li Hong (the eldest son of Li Zhi and Wu Zetian), but Li Hong fell ill and died violently. So he made his second son Li Xian the prince and made him supervise the country. Empress Wu deposed Li Xian for the crime of "disobedience". Li Zhi had no choice but to make King Li Xian of England the crown prince. In 682 AD, Li Xian gave birth to a son, Li Chongrun (who was posthumously named Prince Yide). Li Zhi made him the grandson of the emperor, and made an exception to establish an official office for the grandson, in order to benefit the Tang Dynasty for generations to come. In December of the first year of Hongdao, Li Zhi died of illness in the Zhenguan Hall in Luoyang, the eastern capital, at the age of 56 and had reigned for 34 years. Before he died, he said: "If the gods of heaven and earth extend my life for a month or two, I will be able to return to Chang'an, and I will die without regrets." He expressed his willingness to bury his bones in his hometown Guanzhong. The posthumous edict stated that "the cemetery system must be frugal. Those who are undecided on military and state affairs shall be punished by the Empress of Heaven (Wu Zetian)." In May of the first year of civilization (684), Wu Zetian followed Gaozong's last wish and ordered Ruizong to escort Gaozong's spirit drive west to Chang'an. He was buried in Liangshan in August, and the mausoleum was named Qianling.
Wu Zetian (624-705), named herself Zhao, because she was once called the Great Sage Queen Zetian, and later generations called her Wu Zetian. His ancestral home is Wenshui, Bingzhou (now Wenshui, Shanxi), and he was born in Chang'an, the capital of the Tang Dynasty (some say Guangyuan, Sichuan). His father, the warrior Xun, was originally a timber merchant. Later, he followed Li Yuan, who stayed in Taiyuan during the Sui Dynasty to raise an army. In the early Tang Dynasty, he became the minister of the Ministry of Industry and the governor of Lizhou. His mother, Yang, was the daughter of Sui Prime Minister Yang Da. It is said that Wu Zetian had strange appearances when she was a child. At that time, the world-famous astrologer Yuan Tiangang once went to Wu's house for a banquet. During the dinner, the warrior Yu asked Yuan to meet his family. After seeing his wife Yang, Yuan Tiangang said: "My wife is very good at bones and she will have a noble son!" After seeing Wu's second son Yuan Qing and Yuan Shuang, he said: "These two sons can reach the third rank, but they will not be rich for life!" At this time, the wet nurse came out holding Wu Zetian, who was wearing boy's clothes. Yuan Tiangang stepped forward and examined her for a while, then said, "This young man has a cool look on his face. It's hard to know. Let him go and have a look." So the wet nurse put her on the ground. The child walked a few steps, and Yuan Tiangang asked her to look up again, and was shocked: "This child has dragon eyes and a phoenix neck, and the appearance of Fu Xi, he must be extremely noble!" Yuan Tiangang looked at the child from the side for a while, and was surprised and surprised. Regretfully said: "It's a pity that he is the husband. If he were a woman, she would be the master of the world!"
When Wu Zetian was 14 years old in the eleventh year of Zhenguan (637), Emperor Taizong Li Shimin of the Tang Dynasty heard about her "beauty treatment" and summoned her into the army. In the harem, he was named a talented person and given the title "Wu Mei". Wu Cairen, who had just entered the palace, won the favor of Emperor Taizong with her unique charm. However, she thought that it would be difficult for her to be favored by Emperor Taizong for a long time in a harem filled with beauties. This scheming woman used her beauty to Seduced the crown prince. At the end of Zhenguan, Taizong was critically ill, and Li Zhi was at his side, and he had an affair with Wu. In the twenty-third year of Zhenguan (649), Taizong died. According to the palace system at that time, the 26-year-old Wu Cairen and the barren concubines in the harem were sent to Ganye Temple to be shaved and became nuns to pray for the late emperor.
On the anniversary of Taizong's death in the third year of Yonghui (652), Li Zhi went to the temple to burn incense, met Wu Meiniang, and rekindled their old relationship. He was recalled to the harem and given the title of Zhaoyi.
There has always been a lot of resentment in the palace, especially Emei. Wu Zhaoyi, who returned to the court, used her intelligence and wisdom to put the blame on Queen Wang by strangling her biological daughter. Finally, she ascended the coveted throne of queen and began to participate in government affairs. Empress Wu, who was "very resourceful and involved in literature and history", soon showed her superhuman talent and shrewd and powerful ability to govern the country, and gained the great trust and reliance of Emperor Gaozong. After October of the fifth year of Xianqing (660), Li Zhi, who was suffering from many diseases, asked the Queen of Heaven to make detailed decisions on all the "hundreds of memorials". Wu Zetian took this opportunity to win over the courtiers and used the influence of Li Yifu, Xu Jingzong and others. With his support, he eliminated the senior officials headed by Changsun Wuji and Chu Suiliang, and from then on he ruled the government arbitrarily. After Gaozong died in the first year of Hongdao, Zhongzong Li Xian came to the throne, and Wu Zetian came to the court as the Queen Mother. The following year, Zhongzong Li Xian was deposed and Li Dan was made emperor, ordering him not to interfere in political affairs. In the third year of Zaichu (690), Wu Zetian ordered the monk Faming to compile the "Dayun Sutra", saying that it was the birth of Maitreya Buddha, who should be the Lord of Jambudvipa (human world) in Tang Dynasty. Then he ordered his close ministers to recruit hundreds of people to "persuade". As a result, tens of thousands of people from all over the imperial court, inside and outside the capital, chiefs of various barbarians, monks and Taoists followed suit. Seeing that the time was ripe, Wu Zetian changed the name of Tang Dynasty to Zhou Dynasty. In September of the first year of Tianshou, Wu Zetian officially ascended the throne and called herself Emperor of Zhou Dynasty, becoming the only female emperor in Chinese history.
Wu Zetian was well versed in literature and history, good at maneuvering, and cruel in means. After she became emperor, she expanded her official career, created the "palace examination", "bootstrap" and "military examination" systems to attract talents extensively; rewarded informants, appointed cruel officials, repeatedly set up prisons, and attacked nobles and nobles to maintain her absolute rule status. During her nearly 50 years of rule, social politics, economy and culture have flourished. At the same time, the relationship between the Tang Dynasty and various ethnic minorities in the border areas was strengthened and improved. In his later years, he was extravagant and arbitrary, and the palace was filthy and chaotic. His nephew Wu Sansi controlled the government, and the political constitution was in chaos. In the first month of the first year of Shenlong (AD 705), Wu Zetian was seriously ill, and Prime Minister Zhang Jianzhi and others launched a coup to support the restoration of Zhongzong Li Xian. In November, Wu Zetian passed away in Shangyang Palace, Luoyang. Her last will was: "The temple, the mausoleum, the order to remove the imperial title, and call her the Great Sage Queen Zetian." She was 82 years old. In May of the following year, Zhongzong's guardian spirit returned to Xijing, and in August he was buried with her husband in the Xuan Palace of Qianling.