Nestled in the quiet countryside near Xi'an, the Tomb of Emperor Jing, or the Han Yangling Mausoleum, feels less like a somber crypt and more like a silent, sprawling city for the dead. This isn't just a burial mound; it's an entire subterranean universe, a meticulous clay-and-terracotta echo of the Han Dynasty's bureaucratic world. While his more famous father, Jingdi, focused on austerity in life, his eternal retinue is astonishing: thousands of miniature, naked pottery officials, servants, and animals, each once brightly painted and armed with tiny wooden tools, standing in military formation for over two millennia. Unlike the stern warriors of Qin, these figures have a peculiar, almost serene humanity to their simplified faces. Excavation reveals a vast network of pits—for chariots, granaries, even entertainment—painstakingly mirroring the imperial court above. It’s a profound statement: an emperor’s attempt to govern eternity with the same order he brought to his realm, now speaking in whispers of earth and ceramic.
Who Built Tomb of Emperor Jing?
Who Built the Tomb of Emperor Jing?
The Tomb of Emperor Jing, also known as the Yangling Mausoleum, was built by and for Emperor Jing of Han (Liu Qi, 188–141 BCE). Construction began during his reign and was completed after his death, overseen by his successor, Emperor Wu of Han, and the imperial administration.
Why Was It Built?
It was built as an imperial burial complex in accordance with Han Dynasty Confucian principles of filial piety and the cosmological belief in an afterlife that mirrored the earthly realm. The tomb was designed to provide the emperor with everything he would need in the next world, reflecting his status and power. The complex includes a vast burial mound, numerous sacrificial pits containing thousands of ceramic figurines (a terracotta army preceding the more famous one of Qin Shi Huang), and subsidiary tombs for family members and nobles.
Related Cultural Context and Other Structures
The tomb is a prime example of early Western Han imperial burial culture, which emphasized large, orderly underground complexes filled with spirit objects (mingqi). This tradition evolved from earlier practices but aimed to be less ostentatious than the tomb of the First Emperor.
Other Highly Relevant Tombs from the List
From the provided list, the most directly relevant comparison is the Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang. It represents the immediate predecessor tradition that Han emperors like Jing both drew from and reacted against, scaling down the human sacrifices but continuing the practice of large-scale spirit armies.
Furthermore, as part of the long continuum of Chinese imperial burial practices, the Ming Tombs represent a much later, fully developed expression of similar concepts—dynastic necropolises built with geomancy (feng shui) and cosmic symbolism in mind.
