History
Following his death in 683, Emperor Gaozong's mausoleum complex was completed in 684. After her death, Wu Zetian was interred in a joint burial with Gaozong at Qianling on July 2, 706. Tang Dynasty funerary epitaphs in the tombs of her son Li Xián (Crown Prince Zhanghuai, 653–84), grandson Li Chongrun (Prince of Shao, posthumously honored Crown Prince Yide, 682–701), and granddaughter Li Xianhui (Lady Yongtai, posthumously honored as Princess Yongtai, 684–701) of the mausoleum are inscribed with the date of burial as 706 AD, allowing historians to accurately date the structures and artwork of the tombs. In fact, this Sui and Tang Dynasty practice of interring an epitaph that records the person's name, rank, and dates of death and burial was consistent amongst tombs for the imperial family and high court officials. Both the Book of Tang and New Book of Tang record that, in 706, Wu Zetian's son Emperor Zhongzong of Tang (r. 684, 705–10, Li Chongrun's and Li Xianhui's father and Li Xián's brother) exonerated the victims of Wu Zetian's political purges and provided them with honorable burials, including the two princes and princess mentioned above. Besides the attendant tombs of these royal family members, two others that have been excavated belonging to Chancellor Xue Yuanchao (622–83) and General of the Left Guard Li Jinxing.
The five attendant tombs mentioned above were opened and excavated in the 1960s and early 1970s. In March 1995, there was an organized petition to the government about efforts to finally excavate Gaozong and Wu Zetian's tomb.
Read more about this topic: Qianling Mausoleum
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