Tomb

The monumental size and complexity of the Tomb of Shihuangdi is astounding. It is believed that the workers were forced to remain inside the tomb when it was walled shut so they would not reveal the secrets of its construction. What was the emperor’s purpose for such an elaborate burial place?

The tomb of Shihuangdi is one of the most historical places in all of China and one of the most marvelous sites in the world. Emperor Shihuangdi was the first emperor of China from 221 BC until 210 BC when he died. Construction for his tomb began when he was just thirteen years old and ended up taking 37 years and around 700,000 laborers to complete. In 1974, a couple of Chinese peasants were digging and discovered the almost 2,200 year old tomb. I’m sure one of their first thoughts was why someone would have built such an extravagant tomb.

One theory as to why Emperor Shihuangdi had this tomb built for himself is simply because he didn’t want to ever lose his power. To ensure that he would still be powerful in the afterlife he brought an army of more than 8,000 soldiers plus horses and carriages with him. This loyal army would protect him from any attackers that might cross his path in the afterlife. And while he didn’t use real people for his army, he did end up killing all the laborers that built his tomb to keep the secrets inside safe. On the outside the tomb resembles a small mountain. Historian, Sima Qian, thinks this was a precaution taken to hide it from robbers. Other deterrents were booby-traps and a curse that Shihuangdi placed on the tomb to keep looters away.