Travelogue of the Luoyang Ancient Tomb Museum

Luoyang, an ancient capital with a long history and splendid culture, always attracts the eyes of countless tourists. This time, I had the privilege of visiting the Ancient Tomb Museum in Luoyang, which felt like being in a real-life version of 'The Grave Robbers' Chronicles,' experiencing the mystery and charm of ancient tombs firsthand. The Ancient Tomb Museum is built on the basis of the Northern Wei Dynasty Jingling Mausoleum in the Mangshan Tomb Complex. It has recreated tombs from various dynasties, forming a vivid timeline of burial practices. 'Lady Opening the Door' is a unique form of artistic expression that first appeared in the Han Dynasty and was popular during the Song, Jin, and Yuan periods. It is often found in tomb chambers, ancestral temples, and stone archway paintings, and is a common theme in ancient Chinese painting and sculpture. These images of women partially opening doors are lifelike, as if they are telling ancient stories, moving the viewer deeply. The tomb of Song Si Lang, a late Northern Song Dynasty burial, was discovered in 1983. The tomb chamber has an octagonal floor plan, with brick columns built at each angle, topped with exquisite brick carvings of bracket sets. One side features a brick-built imitation wooden gatehouse, while the other seven walls have mural fake windows, filled with a strong artistic atmosphere. Here, I seemed to be able to feel the living atmosphere and cultural style of people during the Northern Song period. The exhibition area of Jingling, a royal mausoleum from the Northern Wei period, consists of a tumulus, tomb path, corridor, and tomb chamber. The tumulus is circular, reflecting the ancient concept of 'heaven is round, earth is square.' The underground palace is 56 meters long, and the tomb chamber is nearly square in plan.