Qianling Mausoleum

Qianling Mausoleum is a Tang dynasty imperial burial complex in Shaanxi province, built beginning in 684 CE for Emperor Gaozong and later for Empress Wu Zetian. It is one of the principal Tang imperial tombs and is notable for the preservation of its surface monuments and sealed burial mounds.

The complex is best known for its large earthen burial mounds, the paved spirit way lined with carved stone animals and officials, and a wooded hillside setting that contains attendant tombs. Visitors see the long approach of stone sculptures and the two prominent tumuli that mark the imperial burials; the main tomb chambers remain sealed and are not open to the public.

Qianling was constructed under Tang imperial authority beginning in the late 7th century and was used as an imperial mausoleum for Gaozong and Wu Zetian. Over centuries the surface monuments have survived while the underground chambers have remained largely intact.

The mausoleum sits on Mount Liang in Shaanxi province, approximately 70 kilometers northwest of Xi’an, within a rural and wooded landscape that forms part of the wider Tang funerary precincts.

• Construction date: Constructed beginning in 684 CE during the Tang dynasty, it is the joint mausoleum of Emperor Gaozong and Empress Wu Zetian and is one of the best-preserved Tang imperial tomb sites.
• Location note: The site is located on the northern slopes of Mount Liang roughly 70 kilometers northwest of Xi’an and is set within a protected archaeological area with visible stone statuary along its approach.

What to See#

• Imperial mounds: The twin earthen mounds that cover the imperial burial chambers for Emperor Gaozong of Tang and Empress Wu Zetian; the subterranean tombs remain sealed and largely undisturbed by excavation.
• Spirit Way: The spirit way lined with carved stone animals and official figures that leads to the tomb area and frames the processional approach to the mausoleum.
• Mount Liang grounds: The surrounding wooded slopes of Mount Liang that contain smaller attendant tombs and archaeological remains from the Tang period.

• Go early in the day before the large Xi'an tour groups arrive - mornings are quieter and the light on the mausoleum slopes and stone statuary is better for photos.
• Combine Qianling with a visit to nearby Huaqing Hot Springs or the Mount Li trails to make a full day; many visitors rush the mausoleum itself and miss the broader park landscape and stone animal spirit way.