How large an area does the Mausoleum for the Yellow emperor cover? And what are the main buildings in it?

The Mausoleum of the Yellow Emperor covers an area of around 4 square kilometers，which embraced by green waters and hills is densely canopied with junipers in verdant but with a road leading directly the front of the tomb. Erected at the hilltop is a stone-tablet known as “Off Horse Tablet.” Inscribed on it are the word reading “All officials and officers get off from horses here, ” i.e. In ancient times, whoever came here to offer sacrifices had to get off from his horses here and proceed to the front of the tomb on foot. Set up in front of the tomb is a sacrificial tower in which stands another stone-tablet with three characters “Huang Di Ling” or the “Mausoleum of the Yellow Emperor” in Chinese inscribed on it. They were written by the late Mr Guo Moruo, a famous personage in China. Behind the sacrificial sees another stone-tablet with four characters reading “Double dragons at Qiaoshan” carved on it. And further behind is the very tomb of the Yellow Emperor. Located right in the center of the hilltop the tomb of the Yellow Emperor is facing south with a height of 4 meters and a circumference of some 50 meters. Standing some 40 meters away from the front of the tomb is a platfrom of some 20 meters high and a tablet by its side is engraved with four characters reading the “Immortal Terrace of Han Wu.” It was built by Emperor Wu of the Western Han Dynasty in 110 B.C. When he was on his way home from his inspection tour to the northern frontier areas and came to offer sacrifices to the Mausoleum of the Yellow Emperor in order to pray the god for immortality.

Mausoleum for the Yellow Emperor

Standing at the foothill of Qinoshan is a temple in memory of Xuanyuan aud kept inside the temple are some ancient buildings and cultural objects of stone-tablets and so on. Covering an area of around two thirds of a hectare the temple is adored with 14 old junipers. The one on the right is especially thick with its knarred trunk looking very much like a curling dragon and part of its roots is exposed in the air while the dense leaves seem to be a huge umbrella. It is said that the juniper was plated by Xuanyuan in person, having already a history of over 5,000 years. Standing by its side is a stele-tower in which is erected a tablet with the inscription reading ” The juniper towers some 17.5 meters high, the bottom part of its trunk measuring 9.3 meters in perimeter, the middle part some 5.7 meters and the upper part about a little less than 2 meters. As it is learned of, people had it measured again not long ago and the actual perimeter at the bottom is more than 9 meters. They say the juniper is so far the largest of its kind in the county, the “ King of All Junipers.”

In the temple compound there are some tablets concerning the renovation and reparation of the temple done in various dynasties during the bygone days and a stele of inscription in commemoration of the temple. To the north of the gate them is a passage lounge and a tablet tower and the tablets are kept in here, a total of 47 pieces. Erected in rear part of the compound is the main hall of the temple and hung above the entrance gate is a gold-lettered board reading “First Ancestor of Chinese Nation and Culture.” Standing in the middle of the hall is a tablet on which are inscribed with 6 characters reading “Shrine in Consecration of Emperor Xuanyuan. ” But in front of the hall there is still another tall juniper known as “Juniper for Hanging Gold Armor and Seal.” This is because the tree was, as said, used for hanging his armor and seal on it when Emperor Wu came here to offer sacrifices to the Yellow Emperor.

Mausoleum for the Yellow Emperor