Tracing China's origins

I was struck by the patterns and murals in the chambers, which may have been made to convey blessings upon the dead ascending to immortality. Entering the tomb of Song Silang from the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), I could see the exquisite door of the chamber, which was constructed from stone and brick to resemble a wooden gate with sunmao (mortise-and-tenon) joints. It made me think that this was not the entrance to a tomb but the door into a family's home.

This reflects a common belief in ancient China: treat the dead as if they were alive. In the burial chamber, there are murals of two people drinking, two maids cooking, and scenes of music and dancing.

The whole atmosphere is not solemn or cold, but lively and dreamlike, giving the impression that death is merely the beginning of the next journey.

The most striking feature of this tomb is an inscribed brick above the doorway, indicating that the tomb was built in the eighth year of Xuanhe (1126). However, the title of this reign does not exist in historical literature. Officially, although the year 1125 was known as the seventh year of Xuanhe, 1126 was known as the first year of Jiankang because a new emperor had ascended the throne.

Those who built Song's tomb seem to have been unaware of the transition. Scholars believe this reflects the slow transmission of news among ordinary people, a fact that could have led to the error.

It would be difficult to find such historical details in books, but it is easy when visiting a site in person. Fan told me that during tours, they tell students such details to give them a greater understanding of ancient Chinese people's outlooks on life and death.

I felt reluctant to end this journey, knowing that I had captured only a glimpse of the city's vast history.

This was not my first visit to Luoyang, but with its wealth of history, each trip continues to bring new surprises.

Shi Baoyin contributed to this story.