Henan Tombs of Song Dynasty, China

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Tombs of Song Dynasty

The Tombs of Song Dynasty lies at the foot of Mangshan Mountain and faces towards Songshan Mountain and the Yellow River and Luo River run through the area.

Seven emperors in the northern Song Dynasty were buried there and the Tombs of Song Dynasty is so called.

The Tombs of Song Dynasty is about 10 kilometers long from east to west and 15 kilometers broad from north to south. Being a resort with mountain and river, it was a so-called geomantic omen in ancient times from the aspects of Fengshui.

The emperor Huizong and Qinzong in the northern Song Dynasty were robbed by the invasion of Jin Dynasty, and they were humiliated to death outside the north desert.

The seven tombs of the emperors are respectively the Songtaizu Zhaokuangyin's Yongchuang Tomb, the Songtaizong Zhaokuangyi's Yongxu Tomb, Songzhenzong Zhaoheng's Yongding Tomb, the Songrenzong Zhaoahen's YongzhaoTomb, the Songyingzong Zhaoshu's Yonghou Tomb, the Songshenzong Zhaiye's Yongyu Tomb,Songzhezong zhaoxu's Yongtai Tomb.

In addition to a Yong'an Tomb, which was the tomb of Zhaokuangying's father, there are eight tombs and buried seven emperors.

The style of the eight tombs is arranged similarly and all of them have sacred wall, tomb terrace, side tower and sacred gate. On the both side of the sacred way stands a splendid stone-carved complex, which includes civil official, military officer, stone beast and stone column.

300 tombs are lined with the sacred way and they were the tombs of empresses, imperial family's and the famous ministry's, which includes the tomb of Kouzhun's and Baozheng's. Thousands of relics including stone-carved art treasure were unearthed in the tombs. They reflect the high level of sculpture in the Northern Song Dynasty.

In Chinese literature history, the Song Dynasty made a great achievement in poem and song. Many scholars who was concerned about his country and people just like Wangyu and some upright officials who loved his country and people deeply just like Kouzhun and Baozheng living in the Song Dynasty.

Unfortunately, all the emperor in the Song Dynasty were mean except Songtaizu and Songtaizong. But the Yingzhao Tomb and the Yinghou Tomb were rebuilt into a beautiful Song Tomb Park. It was the gift that the two luxuriant emperors Songrenzong and Songyingzong built and left to the later generation. The Tombs of the Song Dynasty is listed in the Chinese key preservation unit for culture relic.

History

The first emperor of the Song Dynasty was a brave and ingenues military leader. In the reign of the emperor zhoushizong Cairong in the Five Dynasties, Zhao was a court guard. When Cairong was dead, his little son Zongyun ascended the throne. Followed the trend that generals made himself King in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, Zhao made up a news that the Liao Kingdom invaded the country.

He got a chance to fight in the emperor's order and he launched a rebellion in Chenqiaoyi. With the yellow robe put on, he became the emperor and he established the Song Dynasty. He didn't follow the policy to conquer the northern and unify the whole country, which was carried out by Cairong and He changed it to conquer the south first then the north.

It took 13 years to conquer the other kingdoms and he finished the division of country after An Shi rebellion in the Tang Dynasty basically. And he used a special way that release the power of generals after have a drink with him. Owing to waste too much time to conquer the little kingdoms, he missed the best chance to regain the Sixteen States such as Yan,Yun.

After his death, his younger brother Zhaokuangyi(songtaizong) inherit his throne. He had knew if he can't regain the north earlier, there must be very dangerous and the people would live in a restless life forever.. when he ascended the throne, he began to fight the north.

But the nomadic Qiduan had already consolidated their territory, Songtaizong returned without any harvest. In all the unified dynasties in Chinese history, The Song Dynasty was the weakest one. It has a close relation with it lost the chance to regain the YanYun Sixteen States.