Our first visit when we arrived in Xian was to the Yangling Mausoleum (Hanyangling). Located at Zhangjiawan Village, about 20 km north of Xian, Shaanxi province, the Yangling Mausoleum is the joint tomb of the Emperor Liu Qi of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-24AD) and his empress Empress Wang. It was built in the year 153 AD and covers an area of 20 km2.
The mausoleum comprises the emperor and empress' tombs, the south and north burial pits, ceremonial site, human sacrifice graveyard and criminals' cemetery. At the Museum, the unearthed burial objects include naked pottery figurines, chariots, and horses, weapons, articles of everyday use and a large number of pottery animals.
Compared with the Qin Terracotta Warriors, the pottery figures are only one-tenth of their actual size.
The underground museum covers an area of about 7,850 m2. To protect the relics, the pits are encased in toughened glass to create the similar environment as if it was underground but made photographing difficult. Suspended corridors made of glass make it more convenient for visitors to be able to take a closer look. On entry, we had to place sleeves on our shoes not to damage the glass floors.
