Introduction: Why do tomb robbers have a strong desire to rob Tang Tombs? Naturally, this is because the tomb is rich in funerary objects and is a "big fat tomb". Another reason that cannot be ignored is that the ground construction of Tang Tomb is too public. Taking Li Shimin's Zhaoling Mausoleum as an example, this mausoleum is simply the Chang'an City of the past.
Emperors are very greedy, and they also hope to go to the underworld to become emperors after death. Therefore, the layout of the burial place is also expected to be the same as the palace during life, with "" and "palace", that is, this The origin of the terms "mausoleum" and "underground palace". The imperial mausoleums of the Tang Dynasty generally had large cemeteries, and a mausoleum city was built. The palace was located in the center of the mausoleum city, and there were also dedicated halls and lower palaces in the south.
The entire architectural layout of Zhaoling is modeled on the design of Chang'an City. The "designers" are two famous ancient Chinese painters, Yan Lide and Yan Liben. "Pictures of Emperors of All Dynasties" and so on, his father Yan Pi is also a famous painter in history). By the time Li Shimin passed away in 649 AD, the 23rd year of Zhenguan, Zhaoling took 13 years to build.
How glorious was Zhaoling at that time? Outside the tomb gate, there are houses built along the mountainside, and a traveling hall is built on the top of the mountain for the entertainment of his soul. Because the terrain in the south of the mountain is steep, stone holes were drilled close to the cliff, iron pillars were erected, and stone slabs were set up as plank roads, which could lead directly to the palace gate, so that "the palace residents can provide food as usual." Later, out of consideration for Zhaoling's privacy and theft prevention, the plank road was dismantled. From then on, Zhaoling hung high on the mountain, isolated from the outside world, and became a palace in the sky.
A mausoleum city was built at the foot of the mountain. There were four gates on the four sides of the city. The east, west, south and north were named "Qinglong", "White Tiger", "Suzaku" and "Xuanwu" respectively. The main Shinto was located at Suzaku in the south. Door center line. In addition, the heroes should be buried around them after their death.
Zhaoling can be said to be the standard mausoleum among Tang mausoleums. After the death of other emperors, they were generally built according to the Zhaoling regulations and equipped with a large number of ancillary buildings. How could a luxurious mausoleum and manor not arouse the hatred of the rebels and foreigners? Incidents of tomb destruction and tomb robbery are inevitable! Therefore, when Zhu Zai, the traitor of the Tang Dynasty, decided to fight against the Tang Dynasty and establish a separate court, he first considered destroying the Tang Mausoleum. On the one hand, it would destroy the feng shui of the Tang Dynasty, and on the other hand, it would also be a way to vent his anti-Tang sentiments.
In fact, not to mention the ancient tomb robbers, even the modern gold diggers have their eyes fixed on the Tang Tomb. Since the time of Zhu Qi, Tang tombs have suffered great disasters and have been continuously robbed and excavated. Among the "eighteen tombs" in Guanzhong, the tombs have been stolen. The reason why the Qianling Mausoleum, the joint tomb of Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty, Li Zhi and Wu Zetian, is still intact is because there is no information to prove that tomb robbers have entered the underground palace of the Qianling Mausoleum.
Taking the Jingling Mausoleum, the last of the "Eighteen Tombs", as an example, in the 1990s there were still groups of tomb robbers waiting for the opportunity to plunder the tombs. During this period, there were seven groups of tomb robbers. The most serious one was on the evening of December 30, 1994. Just as New Year's Day was approaching and everyone was about to take a break, the tomb robbers took action.
This group of tomb robbers is very experienced. They chose the hole immediately south of the mound of Jinling Mausoleum and penetrated directly into the tomb chamber, which was quite accurate. The method of robbing the tomb was destructive, using directional explosives to blast out a 16-meter-deep robbing hole. Tomb robbers successfully entered the Jinling underground palace, stolen cultural relics and caused serious damage. In 1994, Shaanxi Province submitted a request to the country for excavation of Jingling Tomb and was approved.