China Pyramid: Han Wudi (Emperor Wu) Pyramid Tomb - Maoling 茂陵

Описание: From 139 BC this is the largest of all Western Han Tombs, and rightfully so as it belongs to the most famous and longest serving emperor of the Han Dynasty (2nd all-time longest of China's emperors), Emperor Wu (or Han Wu Di).

As impressive as this man and his tomb are, the visit was not so great. I passed by the tomb in a taxi some 10-12 years ago and it was just sitting there untouched "raw" in farmland, and I vowed to return for a closer look one day. That day came today, and a lot has changed ! The tomb is all fenced off, there is a large car park, there is an entry fee, paved pathways abound, security cameras everywhere, and people are no longer allowed to climb to the top of the tomb (which really disappointed me as the view would give a great outlook over surrounding tombs).

I understand why all this has happened, and part of me is glad tombs like this are being protected and recognised as legitimate tourist spots - however - I'm not going to pretend I don't regret not stopping here all those years ago for a closer look, without all the bells and whistles that surround it now. This is the 4th or 5th place now in China that has been "touristed" (if that's a word) and changed immensely since I put it on my bucket list a decade ago - for better or worse China's tourism progress is rapid.

Anyway my reaction to the changes here probably explains why this video is pretty short with abrupt jumps between locations, I wasn't really in the mood once I saw the changes (despite a long bus ride and walk to get here).

My rant above doesn't change the fact that the history that exists here is immensely important, so please come and check out the tomb if you are coming to Xianyang or Xian. The entry fee does actually give you access to the nearby Huo Qubing tomb and related museum also, which makes it more worth it (although I've been to the Huo Qubing tomb some years ago, so I didn't go again).

There is a lot of information about Han Wu Di online in English, and some on Maoling too, you can start here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maoling

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