Headless stone statue, traces of the great earthquake in Guanzhong Province
The joint burial tomb of Wu Zetian and Li Zhi has always had a puzzled question: why does the sixty-one stone statue in the tomb have no head? This question has been debated for thousands of years, but the most plausible explanation is that the statues were caused by the Guanzhong earthquake in the thirty-fourth year of the Ming Dynasty's Jiajing.
The Guanzhong earthquake occurred in the middle of the night on December 12, the 34th year of Jiajing in the Ming Dynasty, that is, in the early morning of January 23, 1556. The earthquake was recorded as one of the worst natural disasters in ancient and modern times, and it was exacerbated by the fact that it occurred at midnight. The quake killed at least 830,000 people, more than ten times more than the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake.
In other words, the death toll of the Guanzhong earthquake was more than ten times that of the Wenchuan earthquake. Without historical records, it is difficult to imagine the magnitude of the Guanzhong earthquake. The "History of Ming" records the situation of the earthquake: "In December of the thirty-fourth year, Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Henan earthquakes occurred at the same time, and the sound was like thunder. It is especially true in Weinan, Huazhou, Chaoyi, Sanyuan, Puzhou and other places. Or the earth rifts and springs, and there are fish, or the houses of the city, fall into the ground, or the flat ground bursts into mountains, or several earthquakes a day, or tremors in a day. He, Weidapan, Huayue, Junan Mountain Song, Heqing for several days. Officials, soldiers and civilians crushed 830,000 people to death. ”
During the Ming Dynasty, there were almost no trees on the Loess Plateau, and the earthquake caused the loess to collapse and landslide, entering the course of the Yellow River, blocking the Yellow River, and even causing the Yellow River to flow backwards. There are many giant fish. Where the wetness is, the earth rifts and springs out, so that the wells are exhausted...". The epicenter of the Guanzhong earthquake was located in Huaxian County, Shaanxi, which was densely populated at the time, with most people living in caves. When the earthquake struck, the sky fell apart, and many people fell directly into the ground crack in their sleep and disappeared.
At the same time, most of the food stored by people is buried under the rubble. To make matters worse, the earthquake occurred during the winter when there were no crops to harvest, causing people to starve and freeze to death uncountable. In addition, the bodies of the victims could not be disposed of in time, and the plague raged on them.
After a major earthquake, there are bound to be aftershocks. The Guanzhong earthquake was no exception, lasting for five years before subsiding. The records clearly show that "those who have moved three or five times in the aftershock moon for half a year, those who have not stopped for three years, and those who have not stopped for five years", "There is no year and no moon, and it is often shaken, and so far the age of the Wanli has not ceased very much." Later generations of experts measured this large earthquake, and the earthquake level reached at least 8 or more, and it was recognized as a super earthquake, and even felt in Sichuan, Guangdong, Fujian and other regions.
After the Guanzhong earthquake, the heyday of Daming had passed, and the granaries in various places could not provide enough food for disaster relief. Even more incredibly, the earthquake also caused some changes to the landscape of the Guanzhong region, such as the Wei River moving four or five miles north, resulting in a sharp decline in crop yields in the Guanzhong region and another outbreak of famine.
The Guanzhong earthquake was a disaster that swept through a huge scale, leaving people at that time bereaved loved ones and left homeless. The earthquake had a profound impact and had a major socio-economic impact at the time. The headless stone statue in the cemetery of the Qianling Tomb witnessed the terrible consequences of this earthquake. The absence of these stone statues reminds us to cherish the present moment and attach importance to natural disaster prevention and rescue work. History must not be forgotten, and we must remember this disaster, continue to learn, and do more for the security of the future.
References: "History of Ming", "Huayang County Continuation Record"
"The Secret of the Sixty-One Statues: The Tragic Story Behind the Great Guanzhong Earthquake"
Everyone knows that there are 61 headless stone statues in front of the Qianling Mausoleum where Wu Zetian and Li Zhi are buried together. These 61 stone statues, also known as the sixty-one statues, are life-size, why do these stone statues have no heads? There have been many opinions for thousands of years, but one theory has the most credibility, which was caused by the great earthquake, which was the Guanzhong earthquake in the thirty-fourth year of Jiajing (1556) in the Ming Dynasty.
The Guanzhong earthquake, a terrible and terrible natural disaster, is still remembered today. That day, which occurred in 1556, became the worst in the history of earthquakes. At that time, the tragedy of the disaster far exceeded the subsequent Wenchuan earthquake. The number of victims of the Guanzhong earthquake reached at least 830,000, more than ten times that of the Wenchuan earthquake.
The specific time of this earthquake was midnight on December 12, the 34th day of Jiajing in the Ming Dynasty, that is, around 24:00 on January 23, 1556. At that time, earthquakes occurred simultaneously in Shanxi, Shaanxi and Henan provinces in the Guanzhong region, and the sound was like thunder, causing extremely serious earthquake damage. Among them, the disaster in Weinan, Huazhou, Chaoyi, Sanyuan, Puzhou and other places was particularly serious, the ground cracked and the springs swelled, the houses of the city fell into the ground, and the flat land suddenly became a mountain fu, which continued to shake for several days, and even continued to shake for many days.
This great earthquake brought extremely serious disasters. Since the trees on the Loess Plateau are almost extinct, the earthquake caused the loess to collapse and landslides into the course of the Yellow River, blocking the flow of the Yellow River and even causing the Yellow River to flow back. According to the History of Ming, after the earthquake, the Wei River moved directly north for four or five miles, which had a major impact on the next year's crop production in the Guanzhong region, and famine broke out again. The earthquake also caused rivers and rivers to flood, giant fish to appear on the streets of cities, and in some places rifted springs and even caused wells to run out.
At that time, the Shaanxi region was densely populated, and most of the people lived in caves. The earthquake occurred in the middle of the night, and people were awakened by the shaking of the sky and the earth in their sleep, but many people did not have time to escape the cave and fell directly into the cracks in the ground and disappeared. In addition, because the earthquake occurred in winter, the crops were not yet ripe, and the stored grain was buried in overwhelming earth and rock, which could not be rescued and used. Large numbers of people starved and froze to death, and the bodies could not be disposed of in time, which caused a plague.
In addition, the earthquake brought long-term aftershocks. The historical record clearly records that "the aftershock moon moves three or five times for half a year, those who have not stopped for three years, and the five years gradually stop at a time", "There is no year and no moon, and it is often shaken, so far the age of the Wanli has not stopped." "This large earthquake has a magnitude of at least 8 or more and can be called a super earthquake. Even distant regions such as Sichuan, Guangdong and Fujian can feel the tremor.
After the earthquake, the Ming Dynasty was no longer at its peak, and the granaries in various places could not provide enough food for disaster relief. After the disaster, the topography of the Guanzhong area also underwent some changes, such as the Wei River moving four or five miles north. Crops were decimated, and famine spread again.
The sixty-first statues became testimonies to this great earthquake, and these stone statues lost their heads due to the earthquake. They silently tell the tragic story of the Guanzhong earthquake, making us deeply reflect on the relationship between man and nature and the ability to cope with disasters.
References: "History of Ming", "Huayang County Continuation Record"
