The Splendor and Secrets of the Qing Dynasty’s Imperial Tombs

The Qianlong Emperor (r. 1735–1796), one of China’s longest-reigning monarchs, presided over the zenith of the Qing Dynasty’s power and cultural achievement. His tomb, Yuling (裕陵), constructed during the height of the “High Qing” era (康熙乾隆盛世), was designed to reflect his grandeur in death as in life. Built between 1743 and 1752, the mausoleum was part of the Eastern Qing Tombs complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site today. Unlike earlier imperial tombs, Yuling incorporated a unique Buddhist-inspired layout, including a “Buddha Hall” (佛楼) filled with religious artifacts and treasures. This very opulence, however, made it a target for looters centuries later.

Historical records suggest Qianlong took extraordinary measures to safeguard his burial goods. While official archives like the Wardrobe and Burial Records (穿戴档, 随棺陪葬) downplayed the tomb’s contents, rumors persisted of priceless artifacts—legendary swords, jade masterpieces, and even Tang-Song dynasty paintings—hidden within. Tragically, the emperor’s precautions failed in 1928, when warlord Sun Dianying’s troops ransacked Yuling in one of modern China’s most infamous acts of cultural desecration.

The 1928 Sack of Yuling: A Warlord’s Treasure Hunt

The chaos of China’s Warlord Era (1916–1928) created ideal conditions for tomb raiding. Sun Dianying, a former bandit turned military commander, allegedly looted Yuling and Empress Dowager Cixi’s tomb under the pretext of “military exercises.” Contemporary accounts, including the Beiyang Pictorial (北洋画报), describe soldiers wading through chest-deep water in the flooded burial chamber, grabbing treasures in a frenzied free-for-all.

Among the most storied losses:

– The Legendary Swords: Two ancient blades, Ganjiang and Moye (named after a mythical Spring and Autumn period couple), were reportedly seized. Folklore claims Qianlong placed the Moye sword atop Yuling’s fourth stone gate as a guardian relic. After the looting, descendants of the Qing house allegedly recovered it—though its current whereabouts remain unknown.
– The Nine-Dragon Sword: Sun gifted this jewel-encrusted weapon to Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek via spymaster Dai Li. In a twist of fate, the sword was destroyed in Dai’s 1946 plane crash and buried with him in Nanjing’s Purple Mountain.
– The Emperor’s “Covering Shroud”: A 2008 Beijing auction sold a kesi (缂丝) silk burial tapestry—said to be Qianlong’s—for 65.5 million RMB, highlighting the enduring market for looted Qing artifacts.

Cultural Catastrophe: Lost Artifacts and Historical Ironies

The looting had devastating consequences beyond material loss:

– Destruction by Water: Ironically, Yuling’s chronic flooding—which Qianlong’s engineers failed to prevent—preserved some treasures by making them harder to loot. 1975 excavations revealed gold figurines, jade cicadas (symbolizing rebirth), and pearls overlooked by Sun’s men.
– The Missing Art Collection: Qianlong, an obsessive art collector, likely buried masterpieces now lost to water damage. Had they survived, these could have reshaped art historical scholarship.
– Public Outrage and Political Fallout: The scandal forced Sun to bribe officials with stolen relics (including a famed pearl to Chiang’s wife), exposing the corruption of the era.

Legacy: From Tomb Raiders to Modern Heritage Debates

Today, the looting of Yuling symbolizes broader tensions:

– Repatriation Challenges: Items like the kesi shroud resurface in auctions, raising ethical questions about trading looted cultural property.
– Archaeological Lessons: Yuling’s 1975 excavation pioneered wet-site archaeology in China, recovering waterlogged artifacts now displayed at the Eastern Qing Tombs Museum.
– Cultural Memory: The desecration remains a national trauma, fueling China’s current efforts to combat artifact smuggling and reclaim pilfered heritage.

As historians continue piecing together Yuling’s scattered legacy, the tomb stands as a monument to imperial hubris, the fragility of cultural memory, and the enduring allure of buried treasure. The Qianlong Emperor, who once boasted of his “Ten Complete Campaigns,” could scarcely have imagined his final resting place becoming a battleground for history itself.