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Han Yangling Mausoleum (July 2008)

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Han Yangling Mausoleum

汉景帝阳陵 Hanyangling Mausoleum · Weicheng District, Xianyang, Shaanxi, China

Photo: Brücke-Osteuropa · Public domain

Walk behind glass into the outer burial pits of Emperor Jing of Han's mausoleum to see painted pottery figurines and animals lined up in the trenches more than 2,000 years ago.

Know before you go

  • Do not use flash in the outer burial pit gallery
  • do not lean on or knock on the glass floor and display cases
  • do not climb the imperial tomb mound

This article is Not yet verified. Please check official announcements for prices, opening hours and dates.

Culture

Culture & customs

Background

Han Yangling is the joint burial park of Liu Qi, Emperor Jing of Han, the fourth emperor of the Western Han, and Empress Wang, buried in the same precinct but in separate tombs. Construction began in the fifth year of Emperor Jing's reign (153 BC), and Empress Wang was buried here after her death in the third year of Yuanshuo (126 BC), so the work spanned twenty-eight years. Set on the Xianyang Plateau, the park consists of the emperor's tomb, the empress's tomb, the northern and southern burial pits, ritual buildings, satellite tomb gardens, a convicts' cemetery and the Yangling town; 81 burial pits radiate around the emperor's tomb. Most of the excavated pottery figures are nude, their original silk and hemp clothing and wooden arms having decayed; they are generally 55–60 cm tall, and differ in both scale and subject from the Terracotta Army of the First Emperor of Qin. In 2006 an exhibition hall protecting the outer burial pits of the emperor's tomb was built on the original site, entirely underground; the site was listed in 2001 among the fifth batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level, and the museum was rated a National First-Class Museum in 2008.

Local customs

  • The museum mainly comprises the Archaeological Exhibition Hall, the protective exhibition hall over the outer burial pits of the imperial tomb, the protective exhibition hall over the South Gate Tower site, and the ancestral temple site. The outer burial pit hall is an underground gallery built over the pits
  • visitors look down at the artifacts in the pits from glass walkways, and the lighting inside is fairly dim
  • before entering you usually need to put on shoe covers as instructed on site. The mausoleum grounds are large, so you will need to walk or take the park transport between the halls.

Religion & beliefs

  • Han Yangling is an imperial mausoleum and archaeological site
  • the ritual building remains were once used for sacrifices, but today it is not a religious site. Please show respect for the tombs, do not climb on the burial mounds, and do not burn incense or paper offerings within the site. The satellite tomb areas around the mausoleum are also burial sites
  • please respect them as well.

Etiquette & taboos

Etiquette & taboos

Rules that apply here

Essential restrictionsSafetyCountry-wide guidance · China

China: At Qingming tomb-sweeping, no burning paper or open flames in wooded areas

Do

  • Check whether the cemetery requires a reservation before you go
  • Stay quiet while laying flowers, bowing and observing silence
  • Consider flowers, tree planting or online memorials instead of burning paper
  • Dress soberly for tomb-sweeping
  • Take offering wrappers and rubbish with you when you leave

Don’t

  • Don't burn paper, incense or candles, or set off firecrackers, in woods or grassland
  • Don't talk loudly or joke around in the cemetery
  • Don't block cemetery paths for long to take photos

During fire-prevention periods, burning paper, incense and candles is strictly banned in forest and grassland fire zones, and anyone who starts a wildfire may be held legally liable. Whether and where a cemetery allows burning is set by its own rules on site.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Xinhua: Two departments deploy safety measures for the Qingming holiday

Essential restrictionsPublic transportCountry-wide guidance · China

China: Go through security before the metro, and park shared bikes in marked zones

Do

  • Cooperate with the security check at the entrance and put bags through the scanner
  • On the platform, wait beside the doors and let passengers off first
  • Register with your real name in the app before riding a shared bike
  • Park in a marked bay or an app-designated spot, and make sure the lock clicks shut
  • If the brakes or lock don't work, switch bikes and report it in the app

Don’t

  • Don't linger in the doorway or force your way through closing doors
  • Don't leave bikes in traffic lanes, fire lanes or on tactile paving
  • Don't let children under 12 ride shared bikes

If you refuse the security check you will not be let into the station. Badly parked bikes are removed, and riders may face action under local rules and the operator's terms.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: People's Daily Online: Beijing issues standards for shared bike technology, services, parking

Essential restrictionsPublic transportCountry-wide guidance · China

China: No smoking anywhere on high-speed trains, and no phone calls in quiet carriages

Do

  • Sit in the carriage and seat shown on your ticket
  • Put large luggage in the racks at the carriage ends or overhead
  • Use headphones for videos and music
  • In a quiet carriage, step outside to make or take calls
  • Before getting off, check around your seat and take your rubbish and belongings

Don’t

  • Don't smoke anywhere on the train, including toilets and vestibules
  • Don't take someone else's seat
  • Don't choose a quiet carriage when travelling with babies or toddlers (12306 advises against it)

Smoking on a bullet train can set off smoke alarms and slow or even stop the train. Smokers are fined by the police and, according to reports, may also be barred from buying bullet-train tickets; official rules prevail. If someone breaks the quiet-carriage rules, tell the train staff.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Travel China Guide: Smoking on Chinese trains

Essential restrictionsSafetyCountry-wide guidance · China

China: Stay on open sections of the Great Wall and never carve the bricks

Do

  • Walk only on open sections and marked routes
  • On steep stretches, stop and steady yourself before taking photos, and watch your step
  • Wear non-slip shoes, carry enough water, and turn back if you are tired
  • Carry your rubbish down or put it in a bin
  • Check opening arrangements before you go; official announcements prevail

Don’t

  • Don't carve, write on or prise loose the bricks
  • Don't climb over fences or onto closed, crumbling walls and watchtowers
  • Don't run or push on steep sections

Carving the Great Wall counts as damaging a cultural relic: one visitor who carved his name at Badaling was given administrative detention and a fine by the police and was blacklisted by the scenic area. Closed sections are not maintained and can be dangerous.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: China News Service: Man detained for five days and fined 200 yuan for carving on the Badaling Great Wall

Essential restrictionsEveryday mannersCountry-wide guidance · China

China: book popular sights in advance, under your real name, through official channels

Do

  • Check the booking rules on the site's official website, mini program or account before you go
  • Enter every companion's ID details in advance and pick an entry time slot
  • Children, seniors and others with free or reduced tickets also book as required and show ID
  • Book early for holidays and summer; popular dates often fill quickly

Don’t

  • Don't trust third parties offering to grab tickets or sell 'insider' tickets
  • Don't assume a free ticket means no booking is needed
  • Don't count on buying tickets at the gate on peak days

Once a popular date is fully booked, you may be turned away. China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism requires sites to keep in-person ticket windows and to accommodate seniors and others, but on-site quotas are limited; booking windows, release times and visitor caps are subject to official announcements.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: China Daily: Ministry of Culture and Tourism requires all scenic areas to keep ticket windows

Essential restrictionsEntryCountry-wide guidance · China

China: set up mobile payment before you go; hotels and tickets are booked under your passport

Do

  • Link a foreign bank card to Alipay or WeChat Pay before departure
  • Carry some cash in yuan for small stalls, remote areas or payment glitches
  • Expect real-name checks at hotels, for train tickets and popular sights; use your passport
  • Make sure the name and number on bookings match your passport exactly
  • If a station gate cannot read your passport, use the staffed lane

Don’t

  • Don't wait until you arrive to set up payment; verification can take time
  • Don't assume cash alone or a bank card alone will work everywhere
  • Don't book with details that differ from your passport

Without a working payment method, or with mismatched ID details, you may be unable to check in, buy tickets or enter sights. Payment limits, fees and platform rules are subject to official announcements.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Gov.cn: Payment services for foreign visitors to China

Essential restrictionsEveryday mannersCountry-wide guidance · China

China: Queue, don't smoke where banned, and never carve on heritage sites

Do

  • Wait your turn in line, and follow staff directions when it's crowded
  • On buses and the metro, let passengers off first and offer seats to those in need
  • Book popular sights and museums in advance, under your real name, through official channels
  • Sort your rubbish into the right bins
  • Use serving chopsticks and spoons, and order only what you can eat

Don’t

  • Don't cut in line or walk side by side blocking the way
  • Don't smoke where it is banned; many cities ban smoking in indoor public places and on public transport
  • Don't carve or write on historic buildings or ancient trees, or climb on or touch relics
  • Don't use flash or tripods in exhibition halls
  • Don't talk loudly or play music out loud in public places

Staff will stop you from queue-jumping, smoking where banned or marking relics, and smoking in no-smoking areas or damaging relics can also lead to fines under the law. Fine amounts, booking methods and opening hours are as officially announced.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Palace Museum official site: Visit

Don’t DON'T

  • Do not use flash in the outer burial pit gallery
  • do not lean on or knock on the glass floor and display cases
  • do not climb the imperial tomb mound
  • do not enter areas of the park still under excavation or protection without permission
  • do not touch the pottery figurines displayed in the open in the archaeological exhibition hall
  • do not run in the underground galleries

Locals appreciate DO

  • First see the pottery figures and animal figures in the archaeological exhibition hall, then enter the display hall over the outer burial pits to compare them with how they were found
  • look down on the layers of the pits from the glass walkway
  • go to the South Gate Tower site to see the foundations of a Han-dynasty gate tower
  • compare the two burial styles with the Terracotta Army
  • note the Han-dynasty animal husbandry shown by the animal figures

Plan your visit

Practical info

Travel tips

  • Allow 2–3 hours. The Han Yangling Mausoleum is in the northern outskirts of Xi'an, not far southeast of Xianyang International Airport and about 20 km from the Bell Tower area of Xi'an
  • from downtown Xi'an you can take the Airport Line metro to a nearby station and transfer to a bus or taxi, or drive yourself
  • because it is close to the airport, some people visit on the day they arrive in or leave Xi'an. Tickets, booking methods, opening hours and the opening of each exhibition hall are as announced on the official website of the Han Yangling Museum. Arrange it separately from the Xianyang Museum or the Daming Palace site in northern Xi'an
  • adding Lintong on the same day would be very rushed. The outer burial pit exhibition hall is underground, with a big temperature difference between inside and outside, so bring a light jacket in summer
  • the exhibition halls are far apart, so wear comfortable walking shoes.
Sources & verification notes

Official website of the Han Yangling Mausoleum Museum

Wikipedia: Hanyang Mausoleum

Wikipedia: Yangling Mausoleum of Han

China Daily government channel: Hanyangling Museum

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