Tomb of Huo Qubing

There are more than twenty attendant tombs of different sizes located around the Maoling Mausoleum. According to historical records, most of these tombs were of generals, concubines, relatives of royal families and others who had rendered service during the reign of Emperor Wu Di and the Western Han Dynasty. Among the larger ones are the tombs of Huo Qubing, Wei Qing, Jin Redi (Hun nationality), Huo Guang, Madam Li, Shangguan Jie, Shangguan An and Madam Jing.

The Tomb of Huo Qubing is the satellite tomb of the Maoling Mausoleum of Emperor Wudi in the Western Han Dynasty (206BC-8AD). Huo Qubing (140-117BC) was a brave and skillful general under Emperor Wudi and led his troops to fight the invading the Huns across Qilian Mountain. He died at the age of 24. Emperor Wudi gave orders to build his tomb in the shape of Qilian Mountain, where the general had achieved his first victory, and to erect sixteen remarkable stone figures of beasts and demons in front of hi tomb to commemorate his deeds.

The tomb is a cone-shaped soil and rock mound, adjacent to the Maoling Museum and is surrounded by a scenic environment. Altogether there are 16 stone carvings in front of the Tomb of Huo Qubing, including a galloping horse, a recumbent horse, a bull, a tiger, a wild boar, a toad, a stone fish, a sleeping elephant, a stone man, an ape and a bear. These large groups of carvings comprise an illustrious example of the art of stone caving in the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220). It is the best preserved carving heritage in China.

'Horse Treads on the Hun' is the main statue placed in front of the tomb with its length of 1.9 meters (about 6.2 feet) and its width of 1.68 meters (about 5.51 feet). In this carving, a stone horse is standing on the ground with perked head and long horsetail. Under its abdomen is a struggling Hun with bow and dagger in his hand. The whole carving is the most representational monumental work and holds an important place in the history of Chinese art.

To this day there are still many beautiful legends about Huo Qubing spread among the people living in the Qilian Mountain. According to the people in Jiuquan City, Gansu Province, after Huo Qubing and his troops defeated the Huns here, the Emperor vouchsafed good wine to this general to reward him for his great achievement. Instead of enjoying the wine all by himself, Huo poured it into the spring pond and drank it with all his subjects. And from then on, the place was named as Jiuquan (the spring of wine).

To the present day, joss sticks, candles and paper money have never ceased burning throughout the year in the temple at the Tomb of Huo Qubing. Some people are doing so with the hope that聽he would 'help to avert disasters and cure their diseases,' because 'qubing' in Chinese means 'curing disease.'

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