Xi'an was once the capital of the Western Zhou Dynasty, and the ruins of Fenghao at that time were located on both sides of the Feng River between Mawang Town and Doumen Town in Chang'an District, Xi'an. Archaeologists have been conducting surveys here since the 1930s. Although many palace architectural ruins have been found, the location of the "Western Zhou King's Mausoleum" has not been found.
In ancient texts, it is recorded that the tombs of the Kings of the Zhou Dynasty were not sealed or trees, and no markers could be seen on the ground. After the death of King Wen of Zhou, King Wu of Zhou, and Duke of Zhou, they were all buried in a place called "Bi". Later, the Western Zhou Dynasty Tianzi should also be buried here. So, where is this "Bi"? At present, there are three theories: Xianyang Beiyuan, Baoji Zhouyuan and Xi'an Fenghao site southeast.
Nowadays, there is no end to the debate about the specific location of the tombs of the Western Zhou kings. However, in the northern part of Xianyang, there are the legendary Tombs of King Wen of Zhou, the Tombs of King Wu of Zhou, the Tombs of King Cheng of Zhou, the Tombs of King Kang of Zhou, the Tombs of King Gong of Zhou, the Tombs of TaiGong of Zhou, the Tombs of Zhou Cemeteries, and the Tombs of Lu Cemeteries; in Baoji Zhouyuan, there are the legendary Tombs of King Tai of Zhou; around the ruins of Fenghao in Xi'an, there are the legendary Tombs of King Ji of Zhou, the Tombs of King Mu of Zhou, and the Tombs of King You of Zhou.
Recently, I released two graphics, "Xianyang Wulingyuan: Exploring the Town of Zhouling and Visiting the Legendary Tombs of the Western Zhou Kings" and "Qishan County, Baoji City: Crossing the Ruins of Zhou Yuan, Searching for the Tomb of the King of Zhou Tai (Ancient GongGong)", respectively, introducing several legendary Tombs of the Western Zhou Kings in the Northern Yuan of Xianyang and Baoji Zhouyuan. Here, I would like to introduce you to several legendary Tombs of the Western Zhou Dynasty around Xi'an .
1. Jiling of the Zhou Dynasty
Located in a field 300 meters west of Potou Village in Yucian Town, Enyi District, Xi'an City, the Tomb of the King of Zhou is surrounded by 12 ancient cypress trees and a large number of modern tombs. On May 31, 1957, the Jiling Tomb of the Zhou Dynasty was announced as the second batch of cultural relics protection units in Shaanxi Province.
On the morning of June 25, 2014, when my family and I were passing through Huxian County, we searched for the Tomb of The King of Zhou next to the Lake Scenic Area of Yupi. It's summer, and the grass is so dense that it's impossible to get close to the mausoleum. The tomb is in the shape of a bucket, with a height of about 12 meters and a side length of about 30 meters. On the south side of the mausoleum, two ancient stone steles are erected, namely the "Jiling tomb of the King of Zhou" inscribed by Bi Yuan, the inspector of Shaanxi in the forty-first year of the Qianlong Dynasty (1776) of the Qing Dynasty, and the stone stele erected by Wang Yicheng of Zhixian County in Huxian County during the Shunzhi period of the Qing Dynasty, and the stone stele written by Zhang Zongmeng of Shaanxi According to the Cha Si You, recording the reconstruction of the mausoleum wall and the mausoleum gate. It is said that about 200 meters south of the Tomb of the Zhou Dynasty, there is a pile of earthen que ruins, commonly known as "Lingguan".
The Zhou Wang Season is called "Seasonal Calendar" and is also revered as "Gong Ji". He was the youngest son of King Tai of Zhou, the father of King Wen of Zhou, and the grandfather of King Wu of Zhou. After the death of King Tai of Zhou and the succession of Ji Li, he built water conservancy, developed agriculture, and trained the army. With the support of the Shang Dynasty, he attacked the surrounding Rongdi tribes, continuously improved his military strength, and became the chief of the Western princes, causing uneasiness in the Shang Dynasty. Later, king Wending of Shang summoned Ji Li to the capital of Yin in the name of a reward, put him under house arrest, and died of hunger strike.
2. Tomb of King Mu of Zhou
The Tomb of King Zhou Mu is located on the north side of Changli Village, Guodu Subdistrict, Chang'an District, Xi'an, hidden in a small forest on the east side of the highway, and not far away is a tall Cangjie Zizhi platform, and few people around know that there is a tomb here. On May 31, 1957, the tomb of King Mu of Zhou was announced as the second batch of cultural relics protection units in Shaanxi Province.
In the past, when I was studying at the Chang'an Campus of Shaanxi Normal University, I would pass by every weekend when I came home. At noon on February 26, 2011, my family and I passed by, parked our car on the side of the road, and walked into the grove. Between the treetops, a tall mound of earth can be seen, which is more seriously damaged below, and a Wenbao monument is erected on the south side, on which are written the four characters of "Tomb of King Mu of Zhou".
The appearance of this tomb is in the shape of a bucket, the height is about 8 meters, the side length is about 25 meters, and on the south side, a stone stele inscribed by the Eighteenth Year of Daoguang in the Qing Dynasty (1838) shaanxi governor Ou Niyang A was erected. Today, the monument is missing. In April 1986, the tomb was destroyed and the top of the chamber was excavated, revealing a brick dome with an antechamber, back and side chambers below. Judging from the tomb shape system, this tomb should be a Han Dynasty tomb, not a real tomb of King Mu of Zhou.
King Mu of Zhou was named "Ji Man", also known as "Mu Tianzi". He was the son of King Zhao of Zhou, the fifth monarch of Western Zhou, who reigned for a total of 55 years, the longest reigning son of Western Zhou. During his reign, he attacked InuYasha in the west and Xu Rong in the east, ordering Hou Fuhou to write "Fu Punishment" and Making Lü Hou write "Lü Punishment", known as the "Son of Heaven in the Prosperous World". According to legend, he traveled the world to meet the Queen Mother of the West, and there was a "Biography of Mu Tianzi" circulated in the world.
3. Tomb of King Zhou You
The Tomb of King Zhou You is located on the south side of Songjia Village in Daiwang Town, Lintong District, Xi'an City, with dense residential buildings in the northeast and a wide field in the southwest. The mausoleum is very small, badly damaged and overgrown with weeds. On October 5, 1983, the Tomb of King Zhou You was announced as a cultural relics protection unit of Lintong County.
On the afternoon of June 27, 2020, on the way back to Weinan from Xi'an, my family and I came to Songjia Village to visit the Tomb of King Zhou You. The tomb is conical in appearance, about 4 meters high and about 20 meters in diameter. The northeast side of the sealed soil is relatively well preserved, and the damage to the southwest of the sealed soil is very serious, and it has been dug into a straight wall, exposing layers of rammed soil.
In recent years, after archaeological exploration, it has been found that the era of this tomb was in the Warring States Qin to Han Period, and it should not be the real Tomb of The Zhou You. It is said that in front of this tomb, there was once a stone stele inscribed by Bi Yuan, the inspector of Shaanxi in the Qing Dynasty. Today, the monument is missing. According to legend, in the ditch on the east side of songjia village, there was once a tomb of Qiu Ji, which was destroyed by water and has disappeared.
King You of Zhou was named "Ji Gong Xiang". He was the son of King Xuan of Zhou and the 12th monarch of Western Zhou. During his reign, natural disasters were severe, earthquakes were struck everywhere, greed and corruption, and the use of traitors was reused. He abolished Empress Shen and Crown Prince Yiusu and made empress dowager, with his son as crown prince. Not only that, but he also harmed the crown prince Yi usu, causing Shen Hou, Hou Ji, and Inu Rong to jointly attack the Zhou Dynasty. In 771 BC, at the foot of Mount Li, Inuyasha killed King You of Zhou, and the Western Zhou Dynasty collapsed.