Features
Chamber of Southern Song tomb reawakens history
Updated: Oct 10, 2025
By Yang Feiyue
China Daily
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Then, massive stone slabs were used to construct a nested, rectangular stone casing, with gaps sealed by a type of tamped earth that hardens like concrete.
"An imperial coffin was placed within an inner, smaller stone chamber. The entire structure was then covered, and the turtle-head hall was constructed above it, serving as a protective shelter," he says.
The difference between an emperor's and an empress' tomb was most evident in the size of both the stone chamber and the aboveground architecture, he adds.
The most telling aspect of Mausoleum No 7 emerges when compared to the earlier Mausoleum No 1 from the southern section of the burial cluster.
