How the Tang Tri-color Simplified Imperial Burials
by staff reporter HUO JIANYING Chinatoday
TANG San Cai, or Tang Tri-color (tri-color pottery of the Tang Dynasty), was created specifically as a burial object. Its existence relates closely to the political system and burial rituals of the Tang Dynasty.
The Tragedy of Sumptuous Burials
In late 1999, a 2,000-year-old tomb from the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-A.D.25) was discovered on Mount Lao in Beijing’s western suburbs, when it also transpired that this tomb had been robbed shortly after interment of its owner. In January 2000, the State Cultural Relics Bureau approved the excavation of this tomb in the interests of its conservation, and, for a time, this discovery was a hot topic in Beijing. People could not help wondering what possible treasure may have been buried within the tomb, but were at the same time concerned as to whether or not it had been robbed of all its original contents.