TheQinshihuang Mausoleum

The mausoleum specifically refers to a type of structure for burying emperors, with the top of the tomb smeared with mud. Such tombs began appearing in an embryonic state during the Yin and Shang dynasties (between the 21st and 11th centuries BC), before fully emerging during theWarring States period(475-221 BC). From then on, through the Qin, Han, Tang, Song and on to the Ming and Qing dynasties, great attention was always paid to them. Born in the prehistoric period and worshipped by primitive ancestors, they achieved refinement through the Confucianists and continued for more than 2,000 years. In terms of structures, mausoleums are the most important along with "temples" for worshipping ancestors and sages.

The Confucianists placed special emphasis on filial piety in providing a stable foundation for maintaining the patriarchal social order with blood lineage as the bond. They argued that, as long as people personally practiced filial piety, they would not defy their Superiors and start a rebellion. Filial piety applied not only during the lifetime of the family elders but also after their death. The dead were treated exactly the same as the living, through sacrifices, worship and reporting everything that happened, even simple things like going out from or returning to the home. Such activities were directed to the ancestors' memorial tablets. After their death, the tomb is their residence in another world, called "yin (negative) residence" to which full, and even more attention, should be paid than when the person occupied the "yang (positive) residence". This was even more true in the case of imperial mausoleums.

According to the concept of the ancients, the terrain and topography, direction and safety selected for the site of the yin residence had long-term influence on the destiny of future generations. This is part of what is known as "geomancy" in China. This emerged very early, and in the Wei, Jin and on to theTang Dynastyand even after that, geomancy increasingly emphasized careful selection of the burial site and geomantic works were mostly named "burial scriptures". Attention was paid to examining the topographic features of mountains and rivers, and to the arrangement of direction and position- Geomancy not only applies to tombs, although this is its greatest role, but also influences various other structures in real life. Although there are some unscientific and even anti-scientific factors in geomancy, its attention to the selection of terrain and its site-selection principles often conform to scientific and artistic laws. From the numerous tombs set up in light of site selection in accordance with geomantic principles, it is not hard to see its positive role.

In ancient hierarchical society, there were, of course, insurmountable differences in rank regarding tomb size. The Book of Rites says: To follow the jaw of rites, one should, in various aspects, observe the stipulations of quantity. For instance, in the size and quantity of palatial halls, houses or utensils, the thickness of the coffin, and the size of the grave, rank should be clearly defined. The more respectable the person, the bigger the tomb and the more graves were set up for them. The most important thing expressing one's rank was the size of the grave, and size has always been a vitally important factor in architectural art.