Simple mausoleum in Henan belies importance of warrior occupant

Archaeological studies indicate that the mausoleum once had structures above ground, which were later deliberately demolished. This complies with records, which say that the warlord's son Emperor Cao Pi, the founder of the Wei Dynasty, initially built the structures as a demonstration of filial piety but later decided to obey his father's wish and ordered their removal, returning the mausoleum to a simple state.

In the museum, I saw funerary objects. Although the mausoleum had been plundered multiple times throughout history, archaeologists still found some. They are mostly pottery artifacts, not at all exquisite. As a matter of fact, some of the figurines and pottery animals seem crudely made, as if by children.

After seeing the great number of exquisite gold artifacts found in the mausoleum of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24) Marquis of Haihun in Jiangxi province, I know how simple Cao's burial was, and the only gold item I saw was a bead, smaller than a button.

Cao Cao has long been a controversial figure. Some say he was a hero, while others say he was treacherous and cunning. Judging by his mausoleum, I saw a strong-minded, insightful man who faced death in his own way.

Leaving the museum, I looked up at a nearly 18-meter-tall statue of him riding a horse at the entrance. Cao is pulling on the reins and cracking a whip, his cloak swirling in the wind. Facing southeast, his eyes are fixed on the distant horizon, the area he failed to conquer during his lifetime. This is the image of him in my heart, a man who was warrior throughout his life.

Shi Baoyin contributed to the story.

wangru1@chinadaily.com.cn