Zhaoling Mausoleum is the burial site of Li Shimin, Emperor Taizong, the second emperor of the Tang Dynasty. It stands on Jiuzong Mountain, 22.5 kilometres northwest of Liquan County in Shaanxi Province. The mausoleum is 70 kilometres west of Xi'an, 30 kilometres from Xianyang and 25 kilometres from Xianyang International Airport. In 1961, the State Council designated Zhaoling as one of China's first batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level. In 2002, it was rated a 3A-level tourist attraction by the National Tourism Administration.

The main tomb complex lies in the northernmost part of the mausoleum precinct, equivalent to the imperial palace city of Chang'an and comparable to the inner quarters of a royal palace. The underground section is the crypt. On the ground, a square small town was built around the mountain top, enclosed by four walls with one gate on each side.

Historical records state that the crypt was chiseled into the southern hillside. It extends 75 zhang deep and features five stone gates. The central chamber served as the main resting hall for the imperial coffin, with stone beds lined up on the east and west wings. Numerous stone caskets holding burial objects were placed on these beds. The passage leading from the burial chamber to the entrance was constructed with 3,000 huge stone blocks, each weighing two tons, tightly joined together.

According to Biography of Wen Tao in the Old History of the Five Dynasties, the underground palace was grand and splendid, no different from a royal residence on earth. Magnificent palaces were also erected above ground, surrounded by lush pines, cypresses, locust trees and poplars.

The perimeter of Zhaoling Mausoleum spans 60 kilometres, covering a total area of 200 square kilometres. There are more than 180 accompanying tombs within the precinct. Hailed as the Famous Mausoleum Under Heaven, it is the largest imperial mausoleum in China with the greatest number of accompanying tombs, and a representative imperial tomb of the Tang Dynasty.

Construction of the mausoleum lasted for 107 years, starting from the burial of Empress Zhangsun in the 10th year of the Zhenguan reign (636 AD) and concluding in the 29th year of the Kaiyuan reign (743 AD). A large number of cultural relics have been preserved both above and below ground. As a tangible witness to the transition from the Early Tang to the Prosperous Tang period, Zhaoling is an invaluable treasure trove for studying the politics, economy and culture of the Tang Dynasty and even China's feudal society.

08:00 — 19:00

Jiuzong Mountain, Yanxia Town, Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province