Han Yangling Mausoleum Museum

A world-class Han Dynasty imperial mausoleum museum near Xi'an presenting thousands of miniature terracotta tomb figures, including nude figurines originally dressed in silk, excavated from pits surrounding the burial mound of Emperor Jing (reigned 157–141 BCE).

Han Yangling Mausoleum is the burial site of Liu Qi, the Emperor Jing of Han, and his empress Wang Zhi. Located near Xianyang in Shaanxi Province, approximately 20 km north of Xi'an, the mausoleum dates to the early Western Han Dynasty and was constructed between 157 and 126 BCE. It is one of the best-excavated and best-presented Han Dynasty imperial sites in China.

The museum's most striking exhibit is its underground glass-floored display of the burial pit contents in situ. Visitors walk on glass above the open excavation trenches, looking down at thousands of miniature pottery figurines — approximately 40–50 cm tall — arranged in their original burial positions. Unlike the terracotta warriors of the Qin Emperor (which are full size), the Han Yangling figures are miniature and were originally clothed in silk and lacquered wood armour, none of which survived. The nude terracotta bodies with their attached removable arms, waiting for their original clothing, have an unexpectedly poignant quality.

The variety of figural types is remarkable: infantry soldiers, cavalry troopers with horse figures, female attendants, officials, servants, and domestic animals including pigs, sheep, cows, and dogs — a complete miniature household arranged to accompany the emperor in the afterlife. The facial expressions and poses of the figures demonstrate a realism and variety that differentiates them from the more formalised Qin terracotta warriors.

The main aboveground museum building adds historical context and displays finer objects from the burial: gold and silver ceremonial items, jade burial suits, painted lacquerware fragments, and silk textiles preserved by fortunate conditions in some pits.