the Tomb of Emperor Qinshihuang

the biggest underground tourist paradise in China	the biggest underground tourist paradise in China

The Tomb of Emperor Qinshihuang is one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the last century occurred in March 1974, near the city of Xian in the north-central province of Shaanxi.
The appearance of the mausoleum is of a low earth pyramid with a wide base. Records state that the mausoleum, which covers 56.25 square kilometers, was a microcosmic replica of the Qin capital. Originally, double rectangular walls surrounded the mound with gates on the four cardinal points resembling the imperial city. The inner wall measured 1,355 meters from north to south and 580 meters from east to west, with a perimeter of 3,870 meters. The length of the outer wall was 2,165 meters from north to south and 940 meters from east to west. As the nucleus of the three concentric circles formed by the imperial palaces, sacrificial trenches and auxiliary tombs scatted around; the core tomb was set in the southern part of the inner city. Remains of hipped roofed imperial palaces, gardens and temples scattered mainly at the northern section of the inner wall; sacrificial trenches with the remains of animals and horses and a bronze cart trench were discovered at the western part between the walls and auxiliary royal tombs spread eastward from the city. These sites have enriched our knowledge and understanding of the Qin system, culture, clothing and material civilization.
It is the biggest imperial mausoleum in ancient China, displaying the skill and craftsman-ship of the country's tomb construction. In 196I, the State Council decided the Mausoleum of Emperor Qinshihuang would be a key cultural relic under state protection.