Tomb of Crown Prince Zhanghuai

The Tomb of Crown Prince Zhanghuai lies three kilometers to the southeast of Qianling Mausoleum. It is one of the 17 satellite tombs of the Qianling Mausoleum.

Prince Zhanghuai was called Li Xian and was the second son of Emperor Gaozong and Empress Wu Zetian. He was comparatively talented among Gaozong's children. Gaozong was fond of him and made him the crowned prince in 675 AD but was removed from that rank in 680 AD and exiled to Bazhou by his mother. Four years later, Li Xian died mysteriously in Bazhou at the age of 31. He was reinstated posthumously in 711 and buried along with his wife in this tomb.

The excavation of the tomb of Prince Zhanghuai was carried out from July 1971 to February 1972. The tomb is 71 meters (233 feet) long by 3.3 meters (11 feet) wide and 7 meters (23 feet) deep. The tomb consists of a long, sloping tomb passage, four sky-lights, four passages, six niches, a brick corridor, an antechamber and a burial chamber. Fifty murals in an excellent state of preservation decorate the walls. Covering some 400 square meters (478.5 square yards) these murals illustrate scenes from the life of the unfortunate prince. One of the most interesting of these is known as the 'Meeting of the Guests'. This mural shows three Tang officials accompanying ambassadors from abroad such as Rome and Korea as well as ethnic groups from north-east China and elsewhere. During the Tang Dynasty Chang'an was a cosmopolitan city with a population exceeding a million. The mural serves to remind us that much of the prosperity of the Tang was due to their international relationships with more than 300 different countries.

Other murals depict parades, dancing, games, female courtiers, sand warriors that are life-like, being over one meter tall, ministers and a polo match, the game having been introduced from Persia and very popular among the Tang aristocracy. In addition to the paintings, in excess of 600 terra cotta items and tri-color vessels bear witness to the social systems and customs of the day. It also depicts the superb artistic skill of the Tang Dynasty.