Qiaoling

Qiaoling

Qiaoling, also known as qiaozhong, is the mausoleum of Li Dan, Emperor Ruizong of Tang Dynasty. It is also the only imperial mausoleum built in the heyday of Kaiyuan of Tang Dynasty. It is located in the southwest of Fengshan (known as "Qiaoshan" or "Suyu mountain" in Tang Dynasty), 15 kilometers northwest of Pucheng County, Weinan City, Shaanxi Province.

In 716, Li Dan, Emperor Ruizong of Tang Dynasty, died in Chang'an and was buried in Qiaoling. Qiaoling is slightly rectangular, 2871 meters long from east to west, 2836 meters long from north to south, with a total area of 8.52 million square meters. The bridge mausoleum was built in the heyday of Kaiyuan nearly one hundred years after the founding of the Tang Dynasty. At that time, the national strength was strong and the society was even. It was reflected in the mausoleum buildings: the stone carving art tried to show the magnificence and magnificence of wealth, and the mausoleum system was tall and magnificent. The mausoleum construction and stone carving art of ruizongqiao mausoleum in Tang Dynasty are the representative of the prosperous period of Tang Dynasty. Together with Qianling mausoleum, they are known as the best stone carving art of Tang Dynasty mausoleum. In the 14th year of Tianbao (755), Du Fu visited his family from Chang'an to fawning on him. In addition to the famous poem "five hundred words chanting from Beijing to Fengxian County", he also wrote "ten rhymes of Qiaoling poetry are presented to Zhuge officials in the county". In the poem, the construction of the bridge mausoleum and the official absence of the palace maids are vividly described, just like the situation of the emperor before his death.

Qiaoling cemetery is slightly rectangular, 2871 meters long from east to west, 2836 meters long from north to south, with a total area of 8.52 million square meters. There are doors on all sides and buildings on the four corners. After thousands of years of wind erosion and rain stripping, more than 50 huge stone carvings, such as shihuabiao, stone ostrich, stone horse, stone man, stone unicorn and stone lion, are still in clear shape and vivid nature, of which 38 are arranged on both sides of the Shinto with a width of 110 meters and a length of 625 meters.

In 1956, Qiaoling was announced as the first batch of key cultural relics protection units in Shaanxi Province. In February 1988, Qiaoling was announced by the State Council as a national key cultural relics protection unit.

Evolution of construction

Li Dan, Emperor Ruizong of Tang Dynasty, collapsed on June 20, the fourth year of Kaiyuan (July 13, 716), which was in the heyday of Kaiyuan. Li Longji, Emperor Xuanzong, did not hesitate to spend one third of the national finance to build a royal mausoleum for Ruizong with unprecedented specifications, in order to thank his father for giving up the throne.

In the winter and October of the fourth year of Kaiyuan (716), Emperor Ruizong of Tang Dynasty was buried in Qiaoling. Therefore, Pucheng County was renamed Fengxian County and attached to Beijing Zhaofu. It is the remains of the heyday of Chinese feudal society.

Bridge cemetery is divided into inner city and outer city. According to historical records, there were nine majestic sacrificial halls, more than a dozen towers, Xiagong and Lingshu on the ground of the mausoleum at that time. By the 14th year of emperor Dezong of Tang Dynasty (798), the number of houses had increased to more than 140, with lingtailing, Dianshi, etc., more than 30 officials and more than 400 households. There is also Zhechong Prefecture, where officers and soldiers are specially responsible for security work.

During the Five Dynasties, Wen Tao, the governor of Chongzhou in the Later Liang Dynasty, organized the army to excavate all the Imperial Mausoleums of the Tang Dynasty. "If the mausoleums of the Tang Dynasty are in their territory, they should know what they have excavated and take the treasures they have hidden." Qiaoling is also on its list.

On January 13, 1988, Qiaoling was designated as a national key cultural relic protection unit by the State Council.

geographical environment

Qiaoling is located in Fengshan, 15 kilometers northwest of Pucheng County, Weinan City, Shaanxi Province. According to the records, Fengshan mountain is called Jinzhi mountain, also known as Jinli mountain and Suyu mountain. At an altitude of 761 meters, the mountains are undulating and the gullies crisscross, forming their own independent hills. The peaks extend from the west to the northeast, and to the south, the plain is vast, far away from the Qinling Mountains.

On the west side of the mausoleum are the peaks of Dongshan mountain with an elevation of 780 meters, 769.2 meters, 736.7 meters, 690.5 meters and 637.1 meters, and on the north side are the main peaks and ring peaks with an elevation of 806 meters.

Architectural pattern

The Qiaoling mausoleum is similar to the Qianling mausoleum. The mausoleum is built on the mountain. The mausoleum is built around the mountain. The mausoleum area is modeled on the capital Chang'an. The mausoleum is located in the north to the south. The Xuangong palace is located on the east slope of Fengshan peak. It has a broad prospect of Guanzhong fertile field and a magnificent mountain range behind it. The elevation of the cave is 736.7 meters, about 250 meters higher than the surrounding flat land.

The south wall is 2871 meters long, the west wall is 2836 meters long, the north wall is 2883 meters long, the east wall is 2303 meters long, from north to south to 903 meters, along the mountain to the west to 427 meters, and then south to the east gate, directly to the southeast corner site. The mausoleum wall is about 13 kilometers long, the mausoleum area is 8.527 million square meters, and the enclosed area is 20 square kilometers. The whole plane is in the shape of a regular handle. The wall is 1.3 meters wide and the base is 3 meters wide.

A gate is opened around the wall of Qiaoling mausoleum. The front gate is ZhuQueMen (now anwang village, Qiaoling town), the back gate is Xuanwumen (now shizihuai village, Dongshan Town, Qiaoling town), the left gate is qinglongmen (now zhaojiashan village, Sanhe township), and the right gate is baihumen (now dangyao village, Dongshan Town, Qiaoling town). There are gate Que and stone carvings on both sides of each gate, and each corner of the mausoleum wall has corner que. In front of the mausoleum, there was a grand spring, which dried up in the late Ming Dynasty. Near the site of Xiandian in ZhuQueMen, there is a stone tablet named "Tang ruizongqiao mausoleum", which was written by Bi Yuan, governor of Shaanxi Province during Qianlong period of Qing Dynasty. Outside the Zhuque gate is Shinto, 625 meters long and 110 meters wide, with a north-south trend. On both sides of Shinto are groups of tall stone carvings.

Cultural relics

Three out of the palace

Sanchuque is located in the South Gate site of Qiaoling, representing the highest imperial ritual system.

"Que" is a kind of landmark building in ancient Chinese mausoleum. It is an important decoration of the palace and also the place where the state promulgated the political and religious decrees. Que can be divided into single que, two Que and three que. The emperor uses three que. According to the construction method, the first is to surround the foundation with carved stones, on which bricks are laid according to certain methods, and then raw soil is rammed inside. There are three progressive steps along the outer edge of the platform, which is the highest level architectural form in the mausoleum. The remnant height of the platform is about 3 meters, with a total length of 20 meters from east to west, 11 meters wide in the East and 9 meters wide in the West. All the bricks and rammed earth around the platform have been destroyed. However, there are well wrapped stone foundations around the platform, the surface of which is polished and smooth, and there are shallow grooves on the surface of the stones, which are used to lay the brick wall of the platform. The structure of the whole gate is solid and the construction technology is exquisite.

The ruins of Qiaoling sanchuque show the highest level architectural form of Tang Dynasty. Although some buildings only remain the basic part, they still show the superb architectural skills of Tang Dynasty. It is of great significance to study the mausoleum system of Tang Dynasty and even the whole social culture of Tang Dynasty.

Funerary grave

There are 17 accompanying tombs in Qiaoling, 11 with obvious signs, 3 princes, 4 princesses, 2 queens and 1 concubine.

In the southeast of Qiaoling, there are a large number of accompanying tombs, including empress Liu of suming, empress Dou of Zhaocheng, empress Fangmei of Xianfei, Li Jianwei of Shenwang (Prince huizhuang), Li Fan of Qiwang, Li Ye of xuewang (Prince Huixuan), Li Hua of daiguo, Li Yuan of Liangguo, Princess Xigui, Princess Jinxian, Li sixun of Yunhui, and King Ning (emperor rang) The tombs of Li Xianhui, Li Yun, Li Lin and Princess CAI are located in the southeast of the mausoleum area.

The inscriptions of "liangguochang Princess stele", "yunguochang Princess stele" and "jinxianchang Princess stele" are written by Emperor Xuanzong of Tang Dynasty.

Qiaoling stone carvings

At present, there are 53 stone carvings in Qiaoling. Because it was built in the prosperous Tang Dynasty, the majestic momentum of its stone carving art is not only reflected in the lofty and magnificent external form, but also in the full atmosphere of its internal bearing. As a result, Qiaoling stone carvings are the representative of the stone carvings in the prosperous Tang Dynasty, and are known as "Qiaoling stone carvings are the best in the world".

There are 38 stone carvings in Qiaoling, which are arranged on both sides of the 110 meter wide and 625 meter long zhuquemenwai Shinto

ornamental column

Also known as "Wangzhu", it is a stone carving of Yiwei nature, symbolizing "the king's admonition" and "knowing the way". Qiaoling was originally a pair of Huabiao, but now there is a complete one in the West. It is 8.64 meters high and consists of three parts: seat, body and top. The base is square with 12 lotus petals carved on it; the column is octagonal with winding branches, rolling leaves and various auspicious birds and auspicious animals carved on the line; the top of the column is Yanglian Chengtao; the base is carved with divine animals, flowers and plants. The eastern one has collapsed and is incomplete, with only the top and base of the column.

a legendary beast in ancient times

Commonly known as "unicorn", it is a strange beast in ancient legend that can distinguish straight and crooked, belonging to the auspicious beast in front of the mausoleum. There are 1 different objects in the tomb. They are about 3 meters tall, with a strong body and * angry eyes. They have wings and are well preserved. The eastern side of the pedestal is inscribed with 4 words * "Fuping Tian". One and the only one stone carving in the tombs of the bridge is about 10 tons. * it is carved out of a whole piece of green stone. This large circular carving is unique among the eighteen tombs.

ostrich

Ostrich relief mainly appeared in the stone carvings of mausoleums after the prosperous Tang Dynasty. There are one ostrich relief in the East and one in the west of Qiaoling. It is a high meat relief carved on a stone screen about 2 meters high and 2 meters wide. The ostrich's vigorous legs, standing on the rockery, look back and stick wings, plump, delicate carving method, the neck of the stone carving light yellow, carved with tiny scales, is a treasure in the art of stone carving, is now well preserved. Ostrich was not produced in China, but was introduced from Persia in Han Dynasty. Central Asian countries have repeatedly presented ostriches to China, which are rare and precious, so they are regarded as auspicious symbols, also known as rosefinch or Luan bird.

Chinese PinYin : Qiao Ling