Emperor Qin Shi Huang is one of the most illustrious figures in the history of ancient China. A prime example of his power is the Qin Shi Huang’s tomb – the most fabulous mausoleum complex in the world.

The burial complex, covering about 60 square kilometers, is an intricate underground city, descending to a depth of 70 to 120 meters below the aquifers. Encompassing an area of 350×345 meters, almost square in shape, it defies easy categorization. The sheer scale of the underground city is emphasized by the emperor’s mausoleum, which is overlaid with replicas of his courtiers and servants, numbering over 500 times.

Over 700,000 people a day were sweating at the tomb construction, which lasted for more than 40 years. Given the fact that the construction of the underground city-crypt dates back from the beginning of the III century BC, we can imagine the tremendous scale of this architectural project for that time.

The Emperor Qin Shi Huang became the ruler of the Qin Empire in the year 246 BC when he was only 13 years old. The ascent to the throne of the emperor’s grandson, facilitated by a low-ranking courtier becoming possible as a result of court intrigues of the powerful courtier Lü Buwei. According to the records of Chinese history, Qin Shi Huang became the first emperor to put an end to the era of the Warring States Period, and to bind six neighboring kingdoms to his centralized power. This unification continued from 230 to 221 BC. It was then that his name appeared with a proclamation “di.” “Huangdi” literally means “emperor-founder.

Upon the unification of the lands, Qin Shi Huang introduced a single currency, a unified measure of weights and writing standards. He, as the visionary forerunner of a bureaucratic structure, formulated principles that are still in effect in today’s China. The era of the Qin Shi Huang reign saw the erection of the Great Wall of China, which fenced off China from nomadic invasions, the 36 km-long Lingqu Canal to cover the emperor’s vast areas by river transport, and a sophisticated system of roads. Simultaneously, in parallel with these, the construction of the Shi Huang mausoleum complex was started at the foot of Li Mountain, 20 km away from modern Xi’an.

Worshipping the mountains, considering them as sacred entities, Qin Shi Huang even at that time was dreaming of life beyond mortality. In search of immortality, he traveled all over the empire and sought guidance from local healers and monks. As a result, not finding the elixir of immortality, the Emperor was prepared to rule in the next world after his death. Therefore, Qin Shi Huang attached such importance to the construction of the mausoleum. Everything in the mausoleum was designed to indicate the eternal life and the might of Qin Shi Huang.

Qin Shi Huang’s tomb, planned as the capital of the Qin dynasty at that time, featured an outer and inner city surrounded by a high wall. A huge mausoleum underground was reinforced with metal beams and adorned with an impressive hall accessed by a central walkway. The roof showcased a panorama of palace gardens, surrounded by replicas of mountains, adorned with mercury-filled rivers. The room was illuminated with lamplights designed to mimic the effects of the full moon, creating an artificial moonlit night. The pyramid was hidden by an artificial mountain constructed with a thick layer of soil.

The mausoleum was protected with many ingenious pitfalls that were sure to catch an occasional curious person or a robber. Upon completion of the mausoleum, hundreds of the emperor’s servants and sorcerers were buried alive to serve him also after his death.

Although Qin Shi Huang cherished a hope that his descendants would rule for another 10,000 years after his death, the empire existed only for three years. It was broken up, discredited by civil strife unleashed by the descendants of the former rulers of conquered lands and peasant uprisings. But despite the emperor’s efforts to teach the tomb, and in the course of time, it sank into oblivion. Few centuries passed before the burial mound of Qin Shi Huang was at least discovered.

The discovery of the mausoleum occurred in 1974 when one of the locals, digging a well, came across a statue of terracotta warriors. This marked the finding of the first figures of the several-thousand-strong terracotta army, which defended the imperial mausoleum, buried underground. Later on, over 8,000 life-sized terra cotta warriors and horses were unearthed. Arranged in rows at the distance of 1.5 kilometers from the tomb, they stood in pits, ready to repel enemy attacks at any moment. Over the years, archaeologists and about 40,000 laborers, in addition to numerous household items, discovered during the excavation, contributed to revealing the secrets of that time.

The Emperor’s Mausoleum has not been fully excavated yet, although scientists cannot wait to learn all the mysteries buried. The reason for this lies in the very high cultural and historic value of the monument: the artifacts during excavation may be damaged, so the studies are conducted with great caution to preserve their great cultural significance. The Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s tomb complex is the first among the attractions of China included in 1987 in the UNESCO World Heritage sites.