These tombs are located on the endless expanse
of the desert, 20 km away from the northeast of Jiayuguan and while only
one is open to the public for exploration, there are 1400 brick tombs of Jin
and Wei Dynasties scattered here. They are the famous JinWei Tombs, and they
were reputed as world’s largest underground art gallery.
Jiayuguan Pass, constructed in 1372, is the
western starting point of Ming Great Wall. Under the administration of Suzhou
Garrison, it is also one of the nine important frontier towns in China in
ancient times. In late Han Dynasty, there was called Yushizhang, while during
the Five Dynasties, it was called Tianmen Pass. Jiayuguan was a place of
strategic importance in every dynasty in ancient China. Until Wei and Jin
Dynasties, there were lots of wars, especially in 310, the forth year of Jin
Huai Emperor. Locust disaster, pestilence and wars all happened in this year.
People were starving and ate grass, leaves and even furs of cattle. Many people
died of starving. And the tombs in Jiayuguan were just built during this hard
period (220-589).
The tomb
itself, which is about 10 meters underground, consists of an entry, where the
tile murals depict the work and everyday life of the tomb owner, then a kitchen
area which shows food preparation on the tiles, and finally a bedroom, where
the couple are buried. The man is buried
after death, but his chosen wife is murdered in order to join him in the
afterlife. Perhaps a reason not to be
the absolutely favorite wife. 
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