Tracing China's origins
The capital of numerous dynasties, the metropolis tells of imperial power and brings insight into the lives of ancient people, Wang Ru reports in Luoyang, Henan.
Underground trove
In the north of Luoyang stands Mangshan Mountain. When Luoyang served as the capital for multiple dynasties, countless individuals were buried on the mountain, which was believed to possess good feng shui.
Consequently, Mangshan is famous for its tombs, which span more than 2,000 years of history.
In recent years, the Luoyang Museum of Ancient Tombs has gained popularity as a museum dedicated to the city's burial culture.
Before my visit, Wang told me that during the construction of an amusement park covering 58.4 hectares, more than 1,000 ancient tombs were discovered, evidence of Luoyang's long history as a densely populated capital city.
The concentration of tombs on Mangshan Mountain is more surprising. According to Fan Wenjia, a tour guide at the museum, it is home to hundreds of thousands of burial sites.
The museum has relocated 25 representative tombs that could no longer be preserved in situ, bringing them together for better protection.
Visiting the museum was a novel experience, because I had never seen so many tombs from different historical periods in one place.
Located six meters underground, the museum allows visitors to enter most of the burial chambers. Although the human remains have vanished over time, the tombs themselves are artistic treasures, revealing the lives of the people who built them.
