Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor - Unique Imperial Museum in Xi'an, China
Last Update: 20th June 2019
What is the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor?
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Covering an area of 56.25 square kilometers, Qin ShiHuang Mausoleum was originally built in 247 BC. Through the hard-work of 39 years, it was completed in 208 BC. It is the first well-designed imperial mausoleum with a large scale in Chinese history. There are also various palaces in the mausoleum, displaying many exotic treasures.
Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor Fast Facts
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What to expect at the Mausoleum of the First Qin EmperorThe Qin Shihuang Mausoleum is divided into two parts: the Mausoleum with an area of 8 square kilometers and the area of accompanying tombs. At present, more than 600 burial pits and accompanying tombs have been discovered in the area of Qin Shihuang Mausoleum.
The Qin Shihuang Mausoleum is back-dropped by the natural beauty of Li Mountain and Wei River. In 247 BC when Qin Shihuang was 13 years old, he appointed the prime minister - Li Si to build the mausoleum. At that time, 720,000 persons were recruited to build the mausoleum. The Qin Shihuang Mausoleum is modeled after the layout of Xianyang (Xi’an), the then capital city of Qin Dynasty (221 - 207 BC), and is generally in the shape of “回”. |
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With the core of the grave mound, the Qin Shihuang Mausoleum has the inner and the outer city walls with high towers. It offers the sleeping palace complex for Qin Shihuang alongside hundreds of burial pits and accompanying tombs.
The mausoleum can be divided into four levels, namely the underground palace city (underground palace) as the core part, and the others are the inner city, the outer city and the area outside of the outer city in turn. The underground palace is located under the mound of southern part of the inner city. The inner city is the key construction area of the mausoleum with the facilities in the inner city being the most substantial. The facilities are concentrated in the southern part of the inner city . The western district of the northern part of the inner city is the auxiliary building area of the temple, and the east district is the burial area of the harem. Facilities are densely concentrated at the west district of the outer city while no objects have been found at the south and north parts of the outer city. Three cemeteries for the people who built the mausoleum, brick kiln sites and stone quarries were found in the area outside of the outer city.
With the tight anti-theft system and considerable mercury in the underground palace plus the limit of the technology nowadays, the underground palace hasn’t been excavated up to date.
The mausoleum can be divided into four levels, namely the underground palace city (underground palace) as the core part, and the others are the inner city, the outer city and the area outside of the outer city in turn. The underground palace is located under the mound of southern part of the inner city. The inner city is the key construction area of the mausoleum with the facilities in the inner city being the most substantial. The facilities are concentrated in the southern part of the inner city . The western district of the northern part of the inner city is the auxiliary building area of the temple, and the east district is the burial area of the harem. Facilities are densely concentrated at the west district of the outer city while no objects have been found at the south and north parts of the outer city. Three cemeteries for the people who built the mausoleum, brick kiln sites and stone quarries were found in the area outside of the outer city.
With the tight anti-theft system and considerable mercury in the underground palace plus the limit of the technology nowadays, the underground palace hasn’t been excavated up to date.
Best time to visit the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor
The best time to visit Qin Shihuang Mausoleum is in the morning as it is not hot during its opening hours. The best months to visit are from March to May, and from September to October.
How to get to the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor
Qin Shihuang Mausoleum is in Xi’an City. It is in the same area with Terracotta Army. Therefore, there there are several options.
- Rent a vehicle to Terracotta Army. This is the quickest and most direct option.
- Take Bus 914 and Bus 916 and Tourist Bus 5 to the Stop of Bingmayong (兵马俑站) from Xi’an Train Station.
Additional Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor Travel Advice
- Opening hours: 08:30 - 17:30 (March 16 - November 14); 08:30 - 17:00 (November 15 - March 15)
- As at 20th June 2019, from March 1 to November 31, entrance pricing to Qin Shihuang Mausoleum is 150 CNY per person; from December 1 to February 28/29, entrance pricing to Qin Shihuang Mausoleum is 120 CNY per person; the elder above 65 years old (65 years old included) are free of charge. For the latest pricing information, please contact us via email (info@wendyweitours.com)
- Please note, the ticket is the pass for Terracotta Army and Qin Shihuang Mausoleum. You can visit the two sites and take the shuttle from Terracotta Army to the mausolem with the ticket and vice versa.
- Passports are required to show at the ticket office.
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Interested in visiting the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor on a Tour?
Wendy Wei Tours offers a variety of different packaged tours as well as custom tours including the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, among other attractions and destinations. To find out more, please visit our Tours page or Contact Us directly to find out more.