Qianling Tomb, located 85 kilometers northwest of Xian, was the tomb of Li Zhi (628-683) Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty, and his empress, who became the only woman emperor Wu Zetian (624-705) in Chinese history after the death of her husband.
It was built in 684 A.D. and took 23 years for the whole construction.
Being one of the eighteen imperial tombs of the Tang Dynasty in the Guanzhong area, Qianling, with great historical value, is the only intact one that was never excavated or vandalized.
There were a lot of architecture on the grounds of the tomb which was a grand necropolis. The huge stone statues arrayed in front of the tomb are well preserved up to now. They demonstrate remarkable achievements of the sculptural arts during the prime of the Tang dynasty.
There are many subsidiary tombs of nobles and ranking officials in the area surrounding Qianling, which has a circumference of forty kilometers. Near Qianling are the tombs of Princess Yongtai and Prince Zhanghuai. Murals with great artistic value have been found here in excavated underground chambers.
