The official name of the largest imperial mausoleum in the Tang Dynasty is the Qianling Tomb of Emperor Gaozong of Tang. Since then, successive governments have treated and preserved it as the mausoleum of Emperor Gaozong of Tang. However, Wu Zetian was not buried as the first female emperor in history, she was buried next to Tang Gaozong as the empress of Tang Gaozong. If someone comes here to play but does not know that Wu Zetian is buried here, then there is no sign in the mausoleum area that claims that this is the tomb of Wu Zetian.
The geographical location of Qianling is in Shaanxi Province, the specific location is in Xianyang City, Qianxian City, six kilometers north of Liangshan Mountain, to here you can see the joint tomb of Tang Gaozong and Wu Zetian, in front of the mausoleum there are two huge stone stele, one in the west, this piece named "Shu sheng stele" belongs to Tang Gaozong, and the east is Wu Zetian's wordless stele. The "Shusheng Monument" is a stele erected by Wu Zetian to praise the merits of Emperor Gaozong. She also wrote more than 5,000 words of inscriptions. The inscription is black, the text is filled with gold powder, very ornate, And Wu Zetian's stone stele is on the east side.
This wordless stone stele, carved from a huge stone, is one of the most magnificent carvings in chinese history. It gives people a solemn, solid, complete beauty. There is no inscription on the stele. Only eight dragon stripes are engraved on the stele. They are subtly intertwined. The scales are clear, the bones are exposed, and there is movement and vitality in the silence.
On both sides of the stele, there is a flying dragon flying in the air, carved from the line, the dragon soars like a fly, lifelike. On the sun side of the stele, there is a line-carved map with lions and horses engraved. The horse bows its head with its hooves bent, gentle and lovely. The male lion raised his head and glared at him, looking very majestic. There are many flowers and plants on the stone stele, and the lines are delicate and smooth, so this wordless stele has also been famous for its ingenious carving.
When it comes to why there is no writing on this wordless tablet, there are many opinions in the world, of which the four most widely circulated. The first believes that Wu Zetian's "wordless tablet" is self-exaggerating, to show her great achievements and virtues, which cannot be expressed in words.
The second view is that Wu Zetian set up the "Wordless Monument" because she knew that her sin was very serious, and she felt that it was best not to write an inscription.
According to the third view, Wu Zetian was a self-aware man, and it would be wise to build a "monument without words." This is the best way to make future generations judge, because Wu Zetian has something to be sure of and something to deny.
The fourth view is that Wu Zetian wanted to maintain Taoist rule, prevent Confucianism from coming to power, and let the blood of Confucianism flow, and she knew that most of history was compiled by Confucianism. If this monument is not erected, the reputation of that generation of female emperors will be completely discredited.
Chairman Mao, however, had his own views on the wordless stele and said a passage: Wu Zetian was self-aware, and she did not allow the inscription on the stele. Some people have analyzed that its original intention is to have infinite merits and countless merits. In fact, this should be Wu Zetian's realization that a person's merits should not be publicized by himself, but should be evaluated by the world. In fact, thinking of Wu Zetian's personality, the kind of self-centered and condescending female emperor, Chairman Mao's statement may be more convincing.