Qin Shihuang (259-210BC) is one of China's most remarkable emperors with a long list of achievements to his name. He is credited with unifying the vast territories of China under one centralized state, standardizing the Chinese script and weights and measures as well as establishing the system of prefectures and counties. He was also responsible for beginning the construction of the 5,000km long Great Wall. But it is perhaps the creation of his enormous tomb that is the most intriguing of all his feats.

The deep, quiet underground palace and mausoleum of Qin Shihuang is shrouded in mystery. For thousands of years it has led to speculation among scholars. What is the structure of the underground palace? How many rare and precious treasures are buried underground? Are there any anti-theft devices inside the palace? Such questions have puzzled experts for many years. At present, only preliminary explorations have been carried out using available archaeological materials and historical documents.

Mystery 1: How deep is the underground palace?

The latest archaeological results show the actual length of the underground palace in Qin Shihuang Mausoleum is 260m from east to west and 160m from south to north, with a total area of 41,600sqm. The size of the underground palace is equivalent to five international football fields, in the shape of a vertical cave.

Page:

1

2

3

4

5

All rights reserved. Reproduction of text for non-commercial purposes is permitted provided that both the source and author are acknowledged and a notifying email is sent to us.