The establishment of imperial mausoleums and the funeral process are interrelated,and both underwent significant changes during the Western and Eastern Han Dynasties.The funeral rituals during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han underwent notable transformations,forming a system with the reigning emperor at its core,which became standardized during the Eastern Han period.The funeral activities encompassed the procession and burial stages.The major changes in the Eastern Han imperial funeral procession can be observed in the utilization of the grand carriage and the integration of burial forms from the"transverse burial"tradition into the architectural design of underground palaces.This led to changes in the burial procedures,including the"Three Officials entering the Anzi Palace"during the grand funeral of the emperor and the protocol of the emperor visiting the"convenience chambers"during joint burial ceremonies.Based on the Eastern Han funeral process,the pillar-grid style architecture in front of the imperial mausoleum might correspond to the"convenience hall"mentioned in historical texts,and the ritual"li offerings"represents the evolution of burial rituals from the pre-Qin period.The themes of simplified burials and elaborate sacrifices dominated the evolution of imperial mausoleum systems during the Western and Eastern Han Dynasties.The implementation of the"Shangling Ceremony"was heavily influenced by Confucian ideology on life and death,representing a shift in the concept of imperial mausoleum construction from emphasizing the underworld to focusing on the world of the living.It also emphasized the political significance of funeral rites.
Funeral processEastern Han imperial mausoleumsIdeology of life and deathInstitutional reform
万方数据
维普
