6 The Unsolved Mystery of Qin Shihuang’s Tomb

Qin Shihuang Yingzheng, the First Emperor of the Qin Dynasty, built his own tomb over the span of 39 years which was later discovered in 1974. Since its discovery, the mausoleum has garnered several names, such as “the eighth miracle of the world” and “one of the world’s largest imperial tombs.” Although archeological surveys claimed excessive mercury content and Terracotta Army surrounds the emperor’s tomb, it has not been revealed what exactly is in the mausoleum.

Qin Shihuang Yingzheng who ruled as the First Emperor of the Qin Dynasty built his mausoleum which was completed between 246 and 208 BCE, over a span of 38 years. The mausoleum was discovered in the Lintong District of Shaanxi Province in 1974 and has been a focus of discussion since then. It is situated under a truncated, pyramid-shaped, 76–meter–tall tomb.

The emperor’s tomb is said to be “one of the world’s largest imperial tombs” and the most magical one. The first large–scale tomb in Chinese history was designed by Prime Minister Li Si and is divided into the outer city and inner city. In between these cities, there are over 400 tombs and numerous burial pits, covering an area sprawling ​​56.25 square kilometers. The main tomb houses the coffin and burial artifacts. 

The tomb has not yet been excavated as of now. The archeological explorations done on the sites surrounding the tomb have recovered the Terracotta Army.

An article published in Archaeology Magazine titled “A Preliminary Study of Mercury Buried in the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor” says that the soil’s mercury content around the tomb is exceeding the safe levels. According to an investigation from 1978 to 1980, 1,193 workers from 21 factories were found poisoned with mercury. 

The contents of the emperor’s mausoleum cannot be entirely revealed unless future investigations are carried out. (1, 2, 3)

7 The Missing Emperor

In 1402, the fourth son of Zhu Yuanzhang, Zhu Di, attacked Nanjing and entered Beijing to prevent his nephew, Zhu Yunqi, from taking the throne. But as he went to personally capture him, he saw fire in the palace but later did not find Zhu Yunqi’s body. While some speculated that his body was not able to be recognized, others said that he ran away secretly. Some even said that his death was an illusion created by Zhu Di. The cause of Zhu Yun’s death has remained one of the biggest mysteries in China.

Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang established the Ming Dynasty and decided to crown his eldest son, Zhu Biao, as the prince. This infuriated his fourth son, Zhu Di, who always longed for the throne. After Zhu Biao’s death, he chose his eldest son, Zhu Yunwen, as heir to the throne.

In 1402, Zhu Di launched the Battle of Jingnan against his nephew and reached his capital. But as he began to personally capture Yunwen, he saw a fire in his bedroom. After the fire subsided, the charred bodies were removed and inspected. Everyone looked for the whereabouts of the emperor but in vain.

Some people speculated that Yunwen’s body was not able to be recognized. Others said that Yunwen might have been murdered secretly by Zhu Di. Some people even said that the emperor might have shaved his head and escaped through underground tunnels as a monk.

Zhu Di did not comment on Yunwen’s whereabouts after he succeeded to the throne. For these reasons, the cause of Yunwen’s death has remained a mystery. (1, 2, 3)

8 The Nine Cauldrons

The Nine Tripod Cauldrons were a collection of ding cast by Yu the Great of the Xia dynasty. These giant bronze cauldrons that were a symbol of ultimate power and survived more than 1800 years just disappeared, giving rise to a big mystery.

One of the oldest mysteries of China is the whereabouts of the Nine Cauldrons. The Nine Tripod Cauldrons were a collection of ding cast by Yu the Great of the Xia Dynasty. These nine ceremonial cauldrons were constructed from the bronze of nine provinces of China and weighed between 6,000 to 8,000 kilograms. They were regarded as the symbol of authority and were passed from one ruling dynasty to another, for over 1800 years. 

When Qin took over Zhou, these nine cauldrons just disappeared and were nowhere to be found. Sources state that two years after the decline of the Zhou dynasty, these cauldrons were taken from the Zhou palace and transported to the Qin capital city of Xianyang.

By the time Qin Shi Huang ruled out other states to become the first emperor of China in 221 BCE, these nine tripod cauldrons were lost. Later, the hunt for these cauldrons was conducted in the Si River where they were supposedly lost during transport, but nothing was found in the end. (1, 2)

9 Xu Fu’s Expedition

Xu Fu, a court sorcerer in Qin Dynasty China, was sent to find the elixir of immortality on Penglai island. He embarked on his second mission in 210 BCE with a giant fleet of virgin boys and girls. Unfortunately, he never returned, raising many speculations about what happened to him.

Xu Fu was a Chinese alchemist and explorer who served as a court sorcerer in the Qin Dynasty of China. Between 219 and 210 BCE, emperor Qin Shi Huang sent him to the seas to find the elixir of immortality. The fleet consisted of 60 barks with guards, crews, and about 3,000 virgin boys and girls. His second mission was on Mount Penglai in 210 BCE after which he never returned.

The Records of the Grand Historian state that Xu discovered a place and spent the rest of his life there like a king. According to historical texts, his final destination was “Danzhou” in northwest China. Thousands of years after his voyage, monk Yichu wrote that Xu Fu landed in Japan and also named Mount Fuji “Penglai.” Several other stories of his destination abound, but no one knows which one is true. (Source)

10 Beijing’s top-notch courtesan Liang Hailing’s Murder

“Number 1 courtesan in Beijing” and best-paid lady of the Passion Nightclub from Hebei province was killed in her home in 2005. Her too-much familiarity with other people and association with several men were cited as the reason for her murder. However, the names of the men with whom she maintained close relations were never revealed.

Liang Hailing was known as the “No.1 courtesan in Beijing” and the best-paid lady of Passion Nightclub, one of Beijing’s most notorious clubs known for its sexy “66 pink ladies.” Hailing, who was from Hebei, was a charming, tall, and fair-skinned woman who began working in the club in 1996.

On November 13, 2005, Liang was murdered in her home, allegedly by strangulation. After a series of investigations, police found millions of yuan at her place along with contact details of several ministerial officials. The case of her murder remains unsolved to this day.

However, several speculations exist, saying she was killed because she knew too many personal details of influential people. Some people say that Liang was killed by one of her lovers. The police have not revealed the names of men who maintained close relations with Liang. 

According to a news article from April 2018, the club is still open, serving hundreds of clients every day. (Source)