Elixir of LifeAs the Emperor Qin Shi Huang was nearing the end of his life, he feared death and desperately searched for the fabled elixir of life. This elixir was supposed to allow him to live forever. However, he was obsessed with this quest and was often gullible to those who offered him supposed elixirs. In one case, in 219 BC, he sent Xu Fu and 1,000 men and women to the Zhifu Islands in search of a 1,000-year old magician who was supposed to provide the emperor with the elixir. These people never returned, because if they returned without the elixir, they feared they would most likely be executed. Instead, it is fabled that they reached Japan and colonized it. Qin Shi Huang never obtained his elixir and later died in 210 BC during an inspection of his empire.
(China Townology, "Emperor's Elixer.") |
Terracotta ArmyEmperor Qin's terracotta army pits are the largest pits in the world. They are located about 1 mile east of Emperor Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum and they symbolize the main defending forces that guarded the capital in the third century BC. The army includes over 8,000 warriors, archers, musicians, strong men, chariots and horses and cover a total area of over 42 square miles. There are three pits, Pit 1 being the largest.
The Terracotta Army serves as a message to show how strong Qin Shi Huang and his forces were. The 8,000+ statues symbolize the 8,000+ warriors who protected him and the region. The site was first discovered in March of 1974, when local peasants were drilling a well. Excavations started immediately and now there is a museum full of restored statues. The Mausoleum and Terracotta Army of the First Qin Emperor have since been included as a World Heritage site. ("Terracotta Warriors.") |
Death
The death of the first emperor of China is a great mystery. The only known facts are that he died in 210 BC in Shaqiu Palace. At this time, there are two current theories about his death. The first is that he died from an illness and the second being that he was murdered.
The people who theorize that he died of an illness blame it on the fact that he suffered from overwork. It was a hard job managing an empire the size of China and there were no precedents. Every day during his reign, he had to read through a large number of paperwork and attend to minor details around his empire to ensure his preservation of imperial power. In addition to his cumbersome daily work, he went on five long tours in 12 years. His royal procession had no car, so he went through great hardship, feeling every bump in the road, traveling across the Chi Dao, the most advanced highway at the time. Another way he could have gotten ill was effects from the many elixirs that he drank. When having his alchemists concoct the elixirs, some contained mercury, a poisonous metal. The people who refuse that the great emperor died from an illness explain that he was a very strong man all throughout his reign. They believe that murder was more likely the cause.
The three suspects of regicide are Hu Hai, the son of Qin Shi Huang, Zhao Gao, the trusted advisor, and Li Si, the prime minister. Most people do not believe that it was Hu Hai's doing because, even though he was the son of Qin Shi Huang, he did not receive the throne after his father died. Most people believe is Zhao Gao or Li Si. Most likely the former. Zhao Gao was always around Qin Shi Huang because he was his most trusted adviser. Speculists speculate that this gave Zhao Gao more opportunities to kill the emperor. Those who feel that it was Hu Hai who committed the act feel this way because Hai wanted to remain in power when the emperor died.
A third theory of his death that is not widely spoken of is that he died because of a curse put on him by the people. However absurd this theory is, it just shows how much the people hated him. Among all these hypotheses, the cause of the death of Qin Shi Huang is still up for debate.
(Travel China Guide, "What Did Qin Shi Huang Die From?")
The people who theorize that he died of an illness blame it on the fact that he suffered from overwork. It was a hard job managing an empire the size of China and there were no precedents. Every day during his reign, he had to read through a large number of paperwork and attend to minor details around his empire to ensure his preservation of imperial power. In addition to his cumbersome daily work, he went on five long tours in 12 years. His royal procession had no car, so he went through great hardship, feeling every bump in the road, traveling across the Chi Dao, the most advanced highway at the time. Another way he could have gotten ill was effects from the many elixirs that he drank. When having his alchemists concoct the elixirs, some contained mercury, a poisonous metal. The people who refuse that the great emperor died from an illness explain that he was a very strong man all throughout his reign. They believe that murder was more likely the cause.
The three suspects of regicide are Hu Hai, the son of Qin Shi Huang, Zhao Gao, the trusted advisor, and Li Si, the prime minister. Most people do not believe that it was Hu Hai's doing because, even though he was the son of Qin Shi Huang, he did not receive the throne after his father died. Most people believe is Zhao Gao or Li Si. Most likely the former. Zhao Gao was always around Qin Shi Huang because he was his most trusted adviser. Speculists speculate that this gave Zhao Gao more opportunities to kill the emperor. Those who feel that it was Hu Hai who committed the act feel this way because Hai wanted to remain in power when the emperor died.
A third theory of his death that is not widely spoken of is that he died because of a curse put on him by the people. However absurd this theory is, it just shows how much the people hated him. Among all these hypotheses, the cause of the death of Qin Shi Huang is still up for debate.
(Travel China Guide, "What Did Qin Shi Huang Die From?")