Posted 2018/10/29
The Western Xia Mausoleums are the imperial mausoleums of the western Xia Regime. They are among the largest-scale and best preserved imperial mausoleums currently existing in China. Called "a mysterious wonder" and "pyramid in the orient", the mausoleums are of the same scale as the tombs of 13 Ming emperors in Beijing.
The Western Xia Mausoleums are located in the middle of the eastern foot of Helan Mountain in the western suburbs of Yinchuan City in Ningxia Province. There are nine emperor mausoleums and over 200 subordinate tombs of royal family members and high-ranking imperial officials in the 53-square kilometer mausoleum area. Among them, Mausoleum No. 3-“Tailing”, the mausoleum of the first emperor of the western Xia Regime-Li Yuanhao, is the best preserved one and covers the largest area. The buildings in the mausoleum areas are all composed of such structures as corner towers, watchtowers, pavilions housing tablets, outer cities, inner cities and mausoleum terraces, etc. The overall floor plan takes on the form of a longitudinal rectangular. On the precise coordinate chart, nine emperor tombs are arranged in a big dipper pattern and subordinate tombs are also arranged according to star images. The architectural styles of the Western Xia Regime reflect the fusion of Dangxiang ethnic culture and the Han culture, serving as a key indication of the social and economic development of the Western Xia Regime. There are thousands of historical relics unearthed from the mausoleums, including various types of articles like building materials, daily-use utensils and burial objects made of different materials like stone, clay, porcelain, bronze, iron, gold and bone etc.
