Weijin Tomb, Jiayuguan, China

 

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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