Ancient Tombs Museum

Must-See Sites in Luoyang

Luoyang’s Ancient Tombs Museum fist opened to the public in 1987 and is located at the Mang Hill in the north suburb of the city, about 8 kilometers from the center of the city. It is said that the ancient emperors, princes, generals and other public celebrities always chose Luoyang to be buried after their death. With an area of over 8,200 square meters, the museum is comprised of Tang and north Wei style elements. Between two buildings, various trees and flowers are planted, so that the museum almost doubles as a museum.

The museum consists of the tombs two different dynasties’ emperors of the North Wei Dynasty (368 CE-534 CE).

The tombs are of different dynasties lie in the southern part of the museum. This area is subdivided into above- and underground parts. In the ground-level area, you can find white marble gates, “Taixu” Hall, models of the ancient tombs, etc. Underground, there are four halls to display relics according to the sequence of dynasties including the Han (202 BCE-220 CE), Tang (618 CE-907 CE), and Song (960 CE-1279 CE) dynasties. The four halls are connected by long passageways. The 25 ancient tombs are situated along the sides of these passageways. With different styles and shapes of the tombs, these ancient tombs are also fine examples of the architectural styles of ancient China.

The emperors’ tombs area of the North Wei Dynasty (368 CE-534 CE) is in the western part of the museum and is 600 square meters in size. The North Wei-styled building, centering on the mausoleum of Xuanwu Emperor, help visitors appreciate the basic shape of the North Wei emperors’ mausoleums and burial customs. In this area, a celestial painting with over 300 hand-drawn stars is an inspiring testament to the ancient Chinese understanding of the cosmos.

Murals in mural hall depict people from all walks of life, from emperors to the common people. The murals cover themes of astronomy, geography, customs and others areas of interest.