China: Western Xia Mausoleums

Western Xia Mausoleums are often called “The Pyramids of China”. These are the royal burial grounds of the Western Xia Empire (1038–1227 AD). and the expansive site is one of the largest and best-preserved imperial graveyards in China. You need to go on a bus and can’t really explore independently and the site is vast. The complex covers approximately 50 sq km and contains 9 imperial tombs and over 250 smaller satellite tombs for officials and royalty. The most famous is Tomb No. 3, believed to belong to Li Yuanhao, the founding emperor of Western Xia. These tombs are massive, rounded mounds that resemble octagonal pyramids. The pyramid tombs stand on plain in front of the jagged peaks of the Helan Mountains in the background, making for great scenic shots. Not much to see beyond the pyramids at the actual site as most of the contents have been move to the museum (next post). It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site