Maoling Museum

Maoling Mausoleum Photos

Maoling Museum is located in Xianyang, about 40 km (25 miles) to the west of Xi'an. It is built at the base of Maoling Mausoleum, the tomb of Emperor Wu of the Western Han Dynasty (202BC - 9AD). In the museum, you will find sixteen grand stone carvings and cultural relics unearthed from Maoling Mausoleum, the Tomb of Huo Qubing and other attendant tombs.

Covering about 12 hectares (30 acres), Maoling Museum combines the cultural relics and ancient structures with picturesque garden settings. There are symmetrical architectures of the Han Dynasty style, with a circular pond and a rockery in the central area and two exhibition halls displaying relics on both the western and eastern sides. Walk across the square and past the pond and then you will see the Tomb of Huo Qubing, which fronts the gate and is surrounded by sixteen stone carvings. Behind the tomb is a hill topped by a pavilion, which commands a great view of the whole museum and other attendant tombs nearby.
 In the two main exhibition halls you can see rare cultural relics and get general information regarding politics, economy, military, and foreign affairs that were relevant to the Han Dynasty in China’s history. In total some 4,100 cultural relics, 14 national level treasures have been discovered. Some of these truly unique and precious cultural relics, including the Gilt Bronze Horse, the eaves tiles with characters on them and the stone tiger sculpture, have now been exhibited in many countries and regions and have been well received with huge enthusiasm. They provide further evidence to the great extent of creativity and the extensive range of skills the ancient Chinese craftsmen possessed. All of these relics in Maoling Museum depict the crystallization of human wisdom and experience.

Of all these relics, one deserves special mention. That is the gorgeous Gilt Bronze Horse, which is 62 cm (24 inches) tall and 76 cm (30 inches) long with a weight of 26 kg (57 pounds). The horse is strong and vigorous, standing still with its head up. It is hailed as the key highlight of Maoling Museum and a treasure of China, having much archaeological significance and aesthetic value.
 

In front of the Tomb of Huo Qubing in Maoling Museum, is a gallery you can see a group of sixteen magnificent stone sculptures. They include a galloping horse, a recumbent horse, a bull, a tiger, a wild boar, a toad, a stone fish, a sleeping elephant, a stone man, an ape and a bear. Those sculptures are representatives of the prominence of artistic achievement during the Han Dynasty. Two of them are national treasures, namely “Galloping Horse” and “Horse Treading on the Hun”. In Chinese culture, horse is the incarnation of the righteous and the brave. “Galloping Horse” manifests the unsurpassed valor of the General Huo Qubing. “Horse Treading on the Hun” is the most eye-catching one, measuring 1.9m (6.2 feet) long and 1.68m (5.5 feet) tall. In this carving, an imposing horse tramples on a defeated Hun soldier with its fore hoof. The soldier, with the bow and arrow in his hand, is terrified but manages to struggle. This stone carving aims to present the great achievements of Huo Qubing in defeating the Hun troops and the strong military power of the Han Dynasty.

 See more about Wei Qing and Huo Qubing Beat Back the Huns

Behind the western relic exhibition hall is Emperor Wu Exhibition Hall built in 2001. Nine sets of scenes and 73 wax lie-size figures vividly represent the whole life and main achievements of Emperor Wu. In the house outside the gate, there are also carillon performances especially prepared for visitors.
 

It takes about 2 hours from Xi'an to reach the Maoling Mausoleum by public transport.
Take a train to Xingping from Xi'an Railway Station, and then walk northward to the crossroad, then turn right to take Xingping Bus 11 to Maoling Mausoleum. 
Or passengers can take a direct bus at Xi'an Bus Station near Xi'an Railway Station to Maoling Junction, then take bus no. 4 to Gaodian. At Gaodian station, walk northward to take Xingping 11 to Maoling Mausoleum.
 Maoling Museum is on the east of the mausoleum, about 1,000 meters (0.6 miles) away.
 

Admission Fee	March to November: CNY 75 December to next February: CNY 55 * The entrance ticket includes the museum and the mausoleum.
Opening Hours	March to November: 08:30 to 17:30; December to next February: 08:00 to 17:00
Recommended Time for a Visit	Two hours