The Tomb of Empress Wu Zetian has always intrigued later generations due to the presence of a massive stele that bears no inscriptions whatsoever. However, the mysteries surrounding the tomb of the only female emperor in Chinese history do not stop there. One of the most famous enigmas related to her is the 61 headless stone statues placed in front of her tomb.
When mentioning Wu Zetian, many people likely know of her. Wu Zetian is the first and only female emperor in Chinese history.
Although she made numerous mistakes throughout her life, history does not deny the contributions of this remarkable woman.
Born into an official family, Wu Zetian was intelligent and beautiful from a young age, later entering the palace as a consort of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, Li Shimin. After Li Shimin’s death, she became the consort of his son, Emperor Gaozong, Li Zhi.
With her beauty and exceptional intellect, Wu Zetian quickly gained favor with Li Zhi. After giving birth to a son, she was elevated to the rank of consort. However, her ambition for power did not stop there.
Through cunning and strategy, Wu Zetian gradually eliminated her rivals and solidified her position in the imperial harem. After Li Zhi’s death, her two sons, Li Dan and Li Xian, ascended to the throne in succession. However, she quickly deposed both and ascended the throne herself, becoming the only female emperor in Chinese history.
When discussing Wu Zetian, many may immediately think of the phrase “cruel-hearted.” However, this is not entirely accurate. According to Qulishi’s perspective on Wu Zetian, she was a compassionate, resilient, and far-sighted emperor, fully capable of ruling as a queen.
Positive evaluations mainly suggest that Wu Zetian focused on recognizing and utilizing talent during her reign, establishing the “imperial examination system,” and promoting capable officials such as: Di Renjie, Zhang Jianzhi, and Yao Chong.
During Wu Zetian’s reign, the overall strength of China significantly improved. Nevertheless, the fact that a woman held dominion over the country in a patriarchal society also led to much speculation and discussion.
Negative comments argue that as a woman, Wu Zetian had too many “male favorites,” openly without shame. Even until the end of her life, she had two male favorites, her cousins Zhang Changzong and Zhang Yichi, who indulged in debauchery in the palace. Her favoritism towards these two led to their abuse of power, causing dissatisfaction among many officials. Consequently, some historians later harshly criticized her behavior, accusing her of cunning political schemes and malicious intent. Along with the autocratic policies of Emperor Zhongzong during the Wu period, she was collectively referred to as “The Wu Disruption.”
Even today, many intriguing stories about her remain.
Wu Zetian, as the only queen in Chinese history, inherited the governance of the Zhenguan period and laid the foundation for the prosperous Kaiyuan era, representing a somewhat progressive reformer of the feudal dynasty. Her dying wish to return power to the Li Dynasty and be buried at her mausoleum, Qianling, is revered by scholars, as this act preserved China’s unity.
Wu Zetian erected a completely blank stele before her tomb, allowing the world to judge her merits and faults. However, people often pay more attention to the uninscribed stele in front of her tomb than to the 61 headless stone statues before Wu Zetian’s tomb. These stone figures vary in shape, closely resembling real people, dressed in foreign attire. What is the significance of placing these headless statues here? What ultimately caused these statues to be headless?
The 61 guardians in front of her tomb were all officials from various ethnic groups, devoted to the Tang Empire, demonstrating that Wu Zetian recruited talent without bias.
After their deaths, these individuals were honored with burial at Qianling, reflecting Wu Zetian’s magnanimity.
Image of Wu Zetian character in film.
However, what is strange is that the 61 “guardians” in front of Wu Zetian’s tomb are all headless. What ultimately caused these stone statues to be headless?
Two explanations have been proposed as follows:
The first explanation
It is said that at the end of the Ming Dynasty, an envoy from a neighboring country visited. After touring Qianling, he recognized that his ancestors were guarding the tomb here.
He was extremely furious but could not vent his anger. So, after nightfall, he incited his close associates to vandalize the crops. When morning came, he told the farmers that the stone statues had come to life, causing destruction to the fields.
The locals genuinely believed him, so they banded together to smash the stone statues. Another version suggests that grave robbers smashed the heads of the stone statues and transported them abroad for sale. Both versions are steeped in legend, as the stone statues were not particularly valuable.
The second explanation
The most credible explanation is that the stone statues were damaged by an earthquake. During the Ming Dynasty, a powerful earthquake measuring 8 on the Richter scale occurred near Qianling, causing many casualties.
Image of the 61 guardian statues in front of Wu Zetian’s tomb.
Since these statues were not constructed solidly, the neck area was prone to breakage, leading to their heads being knocked off by the earthquake. Furthermore, not only these stone statues but also stone birds and animals experienced similar breakage.
Moreover, later on, some individuals discovered the heads of these statues in the surrounding farmland, suggesting that the possibility of the guardian statues of Wu Zetian being destroyed by the earthquake is quite high and reasonable.
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