Chinese pyramids

The Chinese pyramids are an imperial mausoleum in Lintong District near Xi'an in Shaanxi Province. The earth-covered mound rises above an underground burial chamber that has never been opened since its sealing.

Construction began in the year 246 before the Common Era when the future emperor was thirteen years old. Completion of the complex took several decades and ended after the ruler's death.

The burial mound carries a name compared to the great pyramids of antiquity, though its shape and meaning belong to Chinese tradition. Visitors today see the grass-covered hill from outside and can tour the area with the soldier figures that belong to the same complex.

The interior of the burial chamber is not accessible to visitors because it has not yet been opened. The nearby terracotta warriors are housed in several halls that can be toured.

Farmers digging a well in 1974 discovered the first clay figures a few kilometers from the mound. Each terracotta soldier has different facial features, as if they were modeled on real people.