Tomb of Huo Qubing, Archaeological site near Maoling Mausoleum, Xingping, China
The tomb of Huo Qubing is a roughly 15.5-metre-high earthen pyramid about one kilometre east of Emperor Wu's Maoling mausoleum. A spirit road leads to it, lined with stone carvings of animals and figures, including the 168 cm high, 190 cm long Horse Treading on the Xiongnu. The mound measures 92 metres north-south and 61 metres east-west at its base, and the site is now part of a museum.
Huo Qubing was a Han Dynasty general who commanded armies at eighteen and fought successful campaigns against the Xiongnu peoples. Emperor Wu Di granted him this burial site as a mark of exceptional honor for his military achievements.
The carvings show how people honored a successful military leader through stone sculpture and symbolic animals. Visitors can observe how these artworks expressed respect and immortalized important moments from his life.
The site is best explored on foot to view the stone carvings from different angles and appreciate their details. The connected museum facility offers shelter and provides additional context about the artworks and the person they commemorate.
Natural rock formations were deliberately shaped into a mound resembling the Qilian Mountains, the region where the general achieved his greatest victories. This design connects the burial place directly to his most celebrated military campaigns.
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