![]() The Ming created the castle in Yulin in 1474, and the castle in Shenmu in 1607. ![]() Construction on the Great Wall of China began over 2,300 years ago, and this work was finished during the Ming Dynasty. Other cities with historical flavor in Shanxi province include Yulin and Shenmu, both garrison towns of the Great Wall of China during the Ming Dynasty. Imagine: the Silk Road connected the Yellow River Valley to the Mediterranean Sea, and extended as far as those countries we now know as Syria, Iraq, and Iran. The route eventually expanded to reach seven thousand miles in length, winding through such territory as China, Central Asia, Northern India, and the Parthian and Roman Empires. The span of the trading route grew longer when the Chinese began to give silk as diplomatic gifts to Roman-Asian governments. This forced the Han Dynasty to extend military defenses further into Central Asia to better protect this trade.Ĭhan Ch'ien, a traveler who made contact with the Central Asian tribes, proposed alliances with these former enemies and, from this solution, the Silk Road was created. Initially a matter of domestic trade within the empire, caravans from the empire's heart would take silk to the western edges of the region, where these caravans would sometimes be set upon by small Central Asian tribes intent on plundering this valuable cargo. Trade in silk was developed during the Han Dynasty, which spanned 202 BC to AD 220. Xi'an also boasts more than 800 Han Dynasty mausoleums and tombs, multiple Tang Dynasty pagodas, and a stele forest-large stone tablets from different dynasties-on display in a Confucian temple dating back to the 11th century. And fish oil was used as lamp fuel to represent everlasting illumination.Īrchaeological work continues on this and other sites around Xi'an. The chamber's vault was studded with luminary pearls, meant to symbolize the sun, moon, and stars. Mercury was used in the burial chamber to signify lakes, rivers, and oceans. These mechanisms were designed to deter tomb robbers. Inside the burial chamber proper were beautiful treasures, which were guarded by machine-driven crossbows. This terracotta army, arrayed in battle formation, is set to guard the emperor in the afterlife. Archaeologists studying these terracotta warriors have learned that military rank can be determined by specific clothing differences, and can get a clear picture of how Qin warriors dressed. These terracotta warriors are lifelike in size, and vary in facial expression, height, and clothing. Imagine a terracotta army of 7,000 warriors, horses, and chariots. This complex was completed with both an inner city wall and an outer city wall, each ranging from eight to ten meters high.Ī city so impressive would not be without other defenses, also. At the height of building activity, 800,000 men were on site-almost eight times as many workers as those who created the Pyramid of Khufu.Įnvision, if you will, the grand design and impressive scope of an imperial court and city.and now imagine its glory and pomp moved below ground. The design of this complex was assigned to Prime Minister Li Si, and Grand General Zhang Han supervised construction. One year after he assumed power, the new emperor initiated a mausoleum project which would take years to complete. But perhaps the most direct link to Xi'an's fabulous past lies just to the northwest of modern Xi'an, where excavations have revealed the wonders of the terracotta warriors and masoleum of the first emperor of unified China. All told, 13 dynasties in a span of 1,100 years ruled from Xi'an, and this ancient city was home to 73 emperors in total.Īnother claim to fame is that Xi'an is the eastern terminus to the legendary Silk Road, which stretched to Africa, Arabia, and Europe. ![]() Xi'an is also one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China, home to such leadership as the Zhou, Qin, Han, Sui, and Tang dynasties. Xi'an, the capital city of this province, is therefore one of the oldest cities in China, and dates back a mind-boggling 3,100 years of history.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |