[2024 Qian County Attraction] Travel Guide for Qianling Mausoleum (Updated Oct)

For thousands of years, in order to be rich and wealthy, gold and silver jewels, the tomb thieves who went to the tombs are always presenting endlessly. However, in the vast stolen tombs, the royal tombs have often become the first choice for the tomb thieves because of the vastness of the baby. In the change of history, there is simply no one who survived the mausoleum of the emperor, and was simply "disturbed by the dream." Of course, there are also headaches for the tomb thieves, that is, Wu Zetians "Wan Nian Shou" - Fuling.

Journey through time: Visit Qianling Mausoleum.

🎫 Ticket Information: • Tickets are currently half price, CNY 50 per person; sightseeing bus tickets are 30% off, CNY 20 per person. (Prices will return to normal during the National Day holiday) 📍 Recommended Route: 1. Princess Yongtai's Tomb 2. Qianling Museum 3. Prince Yide's Tomb 4. Qianling Mausoleum Main Scenic Area 5. Prince Zhanghuai's Tomb • It is recommended to take the sightseeing bus and visit the attractions in the above order. ⏱️ Visit Duration: • Depending on personal interest and physical strength, the visit duration is approximately 1 to 3 hours. 🍜 Recommended Food: • The snacks provided in the scenic area are affordable, and there are also free tofu pudding and fried dough twists for tasting. 🚗 Charging Facilities: • Owners of new energy vehicles can find fast charging piles in the coach parking area for convenient charging. 🏞️ Scenic Area Rating: • Qianling Mausoleum Scenic Area is currently actively applying for 5A scenic area rating. Although it has not been rated yet, it is definitely worth a visit to feel the weight of history. 📸 Must-see Attractions: • Qianling Mausoleum: The joint tomb of Wu Zetian, the only female emperor in Chinese history, and Emperor Gaozong of Tang, Li Zhi. • Princess Yongtai's Tomb: The tomb of a princess of the Tang Dynasty, which has important historical value. • Prince Yide's Tomb: The tomb of a prince of the Tang Dynasty, which shows the tomb culture of the Tang Dynasty. • Prince Zhanghuai's Tomb: Also the tomb of a prince of the Tang Dynasty, which is worth a visit. • Wordless Stele: The wordless stele symbolizing Wu Zetian, which is thought-provoking. • Sixty-one Barbarian Officials: The famous sculpture group of Qianling Mausoleum, which shows the diplomatic style of the Tang Dynasty.

Xianyang, the Capital of Qin

When it comes to Shaanxi, friends from other places must have heard of the provincial capital Xi'an, but there is a city in Shaanxi with a history even longer than Xi'an's, and even more fun to visit - that is the imperial capital Xianyang, and I have eight major reasons! Reason one, Xianyang, the "Capital of Qin," lies in the heart of the eight hundred li of Qinchuan. There are nearly 5000 cultural and scenic spots within its territory, including the Changling Mausoleum of Emperor Gaozu of Han, the Yangling Mausoleum of Emperor Jing of Han, the Maoling Mausoleum of Emperor Wu of Han, the Zhaoling Mausoleum of Emperor Taizong of Tang, and the Qianling Mausoleum where Emperor Gaozong of Tang and Empress Wu Zetian are buried together. The mausoleums of 28 Han and Tang emperors stretch for a hundred li, allowing you to understand the profound history of Xianyang. Reason two, Xianyang has extremely convenient transportation, with an airport, subway, and high-speed rail all available. No matter which direction you are coming from, you can reach it from Xianyang. Reason three, Xianyang has an abundance of scenic spots. You can visit the Qianling and Maoling mausoleums to experience the historical charm of ancient emperors, go to Yuanjia Village to feel the natural beauty and harmony of a famous rural tourist destination, visit Maweiyi to hear the story of Yang Guifei, go to the Xianyang Museum to see cultural relics from the Qin, Han, and Tang periods, visit Northwest A&F University to learn about agricultural science and technology, and experience European architectural style at the Zhang Yu Rena Castle... Reason four, Xianyang's cuisine is countless, such as Guokui Yazi, Liangpi Roujiamo, Sanyuan Laotang Soup, Xianyang Huitong Noodles, Chunhua Hele, Qian County Tofu Brain, Changwu Water Tofu, Youpo Noodles, Saozi Noodles, Hanshui Noodles, Qianceng Youbing, biangbiang Noodles, Jinggao, Yougao, ... allowing you to eat different dishes from the beginning to the end of the month without repetition. Reason five, Xianyang has many new landmark buildings, such as the Olympic Sports Center, Xianyang Bell Tower, Qingwei Building, Ancient Ferry Covered Bridge, Wanda Plaza, etc., allowing you to check in and take photos to feel the new era of the big city Chinese Xianyang. Xianyang also has old streets full of ancient architecture, Weibin Park, Gudu Xincun, Fuyuan Alley, which are the last remaining cultural relics of the ancient city. Reason six, Xianyang is a city of sports, such as the Olympic Sports Center, Xianyang Lake Phase I and II, which provide free basketball courts, football fields, badminton, table tennis, and other facilities to the public, as well as free fitness equipment everywhere, allowing sports enthusiasts to fully indulge in their passion here. Reason seven, Xianyang also has a Chunhua Ding weighing 226 kilograms, a bronze vessel from the Western Zhou period, and the treasure of Xianyang city. Reason eight, the Xianyang Citizens Cultural Center, is a cultural functional area integrating technology, books, culture, sports, etc., built by the government for free for all citizens. Whether children or adults, everyone can learn knowledge here and experience the double joy brought by games. Xianyang, China, waves a warm welcome to you. We look forward to your visit to experience the stories of this imperial capital city.

The tomb and murals of Prince Zhang Huai of the Tang Dynasty

The tomb of Prince Zhang Huai is composed of a tomb passage, a transition hole, a well, a corridor, a front tomb room, and a rear tomb room, with a total length of 71 meters. There are 6 small niches on the east and west walls of the second to fourth wells, where tri-colored tomb-guarding beasts, tri-colored standing figurines, horse-riding figurines, ceremonial figurines, pottery standing figurines, pottery horses, painted pottery, and green-glazed flower pots are placed. There are more than fifty groups of murals in the tomb of Prince Zhang Huai, covering an area of more than 400 square meters, most of which are well preserved. From the content of the painted subjects, there are the Azure Dragon, the White Tiger, travel, envoys, ceremonies, horse rust, singing and dancing, games, as well as court maids and accompanying officials, etc.

The Beauty of Qianling: Appreciating the Magnificence and Glory of Ancient Royalty!

Qianling, one of the dazzling eighteen tombs of the Tang Dynasty in Guanzhong, Shaanxi, is located on Liangshan, six kilometers north of the county seat of Qian County, Xianyang City, Shaanxi Province. Here lie Emperor Gaozong Li Zhi and Empress Wu Zetian, jointly guarding their royal dream. The mausoleum city wall is heavy, each side of the inner city has its own characteristics, with a total length of more than 5,300 meters and a total area of nearly 2.4 million square meters, fully demonstrating the royal majesty. Qianling was built in the first year of Tang Guangzhu in 684 and completed the main construction in the second year of Shenlong in 706. The unique architectural style of the mausoleum based on the mountain makes it stand out. The most eye-catching here is the grand layout of the mausoleum and the many exquisite Tang Dynasty stone carvings, which are like witnesses of history, telling the past glory. In addition to the main tomb, Qianling also has seventeen small accompanying tombs, witnessing the life and death of the royal family and meritorious officials. Qianling, with its intact main tomb preservation status, has become the best among the eighteen tombs of the Tang Dynasty and is the only Tang tomb that has not been robbed. On March 4, 1961, Qianling was listed as the first batch of national key cultural relics protection units by the State Council, establishing its important position in China's historical and cultural heritage. Time flies, on April 18, 2023, the Qianling site officially became the fourth batch of national archaeological site parks, officially joining the national team's big family. This honor is not only an affirmation of Qianling's historical value, but also an expectation for its future protection and development.

Today I would like to tell a few words about Chinese pyramids. This is Qianling 乾陵。There is probably the hugest pyramid in the world. its height is about 300 m. Xianyang / Xi'an surroundings counts more than 200 pyramid-shaped hills where emperors, their wifes, princess, generals and high ranked servants were buried. Most famous mound belongs to the Qing Shi Huang Di. But we will try to understand what does make Qianling special. At first, we have to note, that all mounds were made from pressed soil, and only Qianling demonstrates stone walls. Qianling actually is considered as a mountain, there is accurately avoided fact to name it pyramid. In this location (photo is presented) we can see two other mounds, those belongs to Wuza Tian empresses and her husband. These two really looks like non professional replica compared to tall mountain))))) Fact number two. All mounds construction / creation process was documented with details by lovely writing ancient Chinese bureaucrats, except... Qianling mountain. Tourists are not allowed to climb Qianling, but it's easy to do. Just turn right from tourist path, come around and start to climb trough the forest from back side. Well, the no name pyramid welcomes you and gives you understanding of the situation. Ancient people tried to copy, to replicate gorgeous monument, but their effort resulted in simple soil hills construction. My wife and I have visited almost all big mounds in Shaanxi plain area, but only Qianling lonely and forgotten pyramid is made of rock with its big stone steps like a huge stair. It looks so old, ancient, even archaic. You will feel that, the pyramid had stood before Chinese ancient civilization bloom, watched epoch by epoch, and it is still standing now. How to get there : from Xi'an 城西客运站 just take a intercity bus to 乾县，busses departs every 30-40 minutes. From 乾县站 after arriving take a cabby (10 min) or any public bus (30 min) to the Qianling 乾陵。 #tripaway#triplocal