The Graves of Huo Qubing and Wang Zhaojun
6 min readThe Huns is an ancient nomad tribe in North China.At the end of the Warring States Period，the Huns annoyed the northern territory of Qin，Zhao，and Yan.The three states thus started to build the Great Wall to resist the Huns.Chief Modu（ruled from 209 to 174 BC）united the tribes and established the state which territory covers the vast area north and south of the Gobi desert.Thenceforth，the Huns extended its territory east to the Liao River，west over the Pamirs，north to Baikal Lake，and south almost to the Great Wall.It has become the first grassland nomad empire in history.At the beginning of Western Han（206 BC-25 AD），the Huns continued to harry the south.In 200 BC，they surrounded Emperor Gaozu of Han，Liu Bang，at Mount Baideng（northeast of Datong，Shanxi）and forced the Han Dynasty to carry out peaceful policies，to pay intribute annually，and to open up market with them for trade.How.
ever，the Huns frequently broke their agreement and invade the south.The Huns had become a great frontier trouble of the Han Dynasty.During the reign of Emperor Wudi，the state power of Western Han became strong and sent troops to beat back the Huns for three times（127 BC，121BC，119BC）.The power of the Huns gradually declined.
Jiuquan Park in Jiuquan，Gansu.The park got its name from a wine fountain.It is recorded in history that in 121 c during the Han pynasty，Piaogi General Huo Qubing conquered the Huns in the west and achieved great victory.Emperor Wu awarded him the imperial wine.Huo Qubing credited the vic At the beginning of Eastern Han（25-220），the Huns broke up to the north and south parts.King Rizhu led over 400，000 soldiers down south to attach to the Han Dynasty.They were named South Hun and were allocated by the Han at the Hetao area.The Huns remainedat the north was named the North Hun.From 89 to 91 AD，the South Hun and the Han allied their troops to attack the North Hun.The latter was beaten twice at the north of the desert and the Altai Mountains.The North Huns was forced to retrieve to the west and disappeared from Chinese history forever.Most scholars take the Huns in European history to be the North Huns that moved west.
During the lasting war between China and the Huns，two historic figures were recorded and remembered.They are Huo Qubing and Wang Zhaojun.
Huo Qubing（140-117 BC）was a famous general during the reign of Emperor Wu.He had established his battle achievements in the wars with the Huns.Huo was the nephew ofGeneral Wei Qing.His mother，Wei Shao’er，was a sister of Empress Wei Zifu.Huo Qubing was adept at cavalry and toxophily.In 123 BC，Huo followed General Wei Qing to the north to con-quer the Huns.He led 800 elite cavalry soldiers and chased the Huns for hundreds of kilometers.2，028 Hun soldiers were killed in that battle，including the chief’s grandfather.They also caught the chief’s uncle.Huo was homaged as the”Champion Marquis.”
In 121 BC，Huo Qubing was promoted to the position of Piaoqi General and 1ed 10，000 cavalry soldiers to go out of Longxi and thousands of kilometers over the Yanzhi Mountain （south of Shandan，Gansu）.He killed Zhelan Chief of the Huns，caught the son of Hunxie Chief，and annihilated 8，000 Hun soldiers.In the summer of 121 BC，Huo Qubing went out of Longxi again over 2，500 kilometers beyond Juyanze，He caught Chief Qiutu at Qilian Mountain and killed over 30，000 soidiers and accepted surrender of 2，500 soldiers，while his own troops lost less than one third in number.This battle was a heavy blow upon the Huns.
“Horse stepping on the Hun’:a horse stands firmly with its head up, underneath its hoof lies a Hun aristocrat. This is a stone statue that the Emperor Wu of Han ordered to be made in memorialof Huo Qubing. It stands in front of the grave of Huo Qubing.
In the autumn of the same year, the Hun chief got angry at the failures and losses of Chief Hunye’s battles and had the plan to kill Chief Hunye in his fury. Chief Hunye suggested surrender to the Han Dynasty to Chief Xiutu. Emperor Wu was suspicious about their surrender and sent Huo Qubing to receive them with his troops. Huo Qubing crossed the Yellow River and approached Chief Hunye’s army. But some of Chief Hunye’s followers changed their mind when they saw the Han troops and escaped in disorder. Huo Qubing rushed to the camp of Chief Hunye and discussed with him. They killed the 8,000 soldiers that didn’t want to surrenderand finally, Chief Hunye led 40,000 soldiers and pledged allegiance to the Han Dynasty. The successful surrender ensured the longterm peace and stability of the Hexi region, and Han thus got through the path to the western territories. In 117 BC, Emperor Wu took advantage of the Huns’ assumption that Han dared not go into the desert for war. He sent Wei Qing and Huo Qubing to attack the Huns respectively, each with 50,000 cavalry,40,000 equipped horses, and hundreds of thousands of soldiers and supplying troops. Huo Qubing set off from Dai Prefecture and caught Chief Tuntou, Chief Han, and 83 followers. His troops killed more than 70,000 soldiers. Huo Qubing was thus promoted to Grand Sima Piaoqi General. Emperor Wudi regarded highly of Huo Qubing and once proposed to build a luxurious house for him. However, Huo Qubing answered,”The Huns are not annihilated completely, what do I need a house for?”This saying became a motto for generals and patriots throughout the dynasties forexpressing lofty sentiments. In 117 BC, Huo Qubing died of illness at the age of 23. Emperor Wu grieved heavily and ordered to bury him at Mao Mausoleum(Emperor Wu’s own mausoleum in Xingping County at the northwest of Xi’ an, Shaanxi). Emperor Wu built his grave in the shape of Qilian Mountain, symbolizing the battle field that Huo Qubing had fought.
There are 16 stone sculptures at the front of Huo Qubing’s grave, including stone figures, stone horses, and other various topics. The style of the sculptures is simple and rough. They are so far the most ancient and best preserved great sculpture artworks in China and are of great significance in Chinese art history.
Wang Zhaojun(52-19 BC), whose first name was Qiang, was born in Baoping Village of Xingshan County in Hubei Province. She was selected into the imperial palace during Emperor Yuan’s reign in Western Han, but she was ignored for many years. In 33 BC, Chief Huhanye of the Huns entered into the imperial palace and expressed that he would like to marry a Chinese girl for his wife. Zhaojun volunteered to marry the chief. Before departure, Emperor Yuan discovered her uncommon beauty and regretted about his decision. However, he could not change his mind in order to earn the Huns’ trust. He reluctantly sent Zhaojun to marry Chief Huhanye. In remembrance of Zhaojun’s departure abroad, Emperor Yuan changed the name of the year to”Jingning,”meaning peaceful frontier. Chief Huhanye made Zhaojun his wife name “Ninghu Yanzhi.”People call Zhaojun “peaceful emissary”in history.
The grave of Zhaojun is located at the bank of Dahei River in the south suburb of Hohhot, Inner Mongolia. Both historic record and folk legend regard it as the grave of Wang Zhaojun over 2,000 years from now. It is a key relic site in Inner Mongolia today. The height of the grave is 33 meters, with a bottom area of 13,000 square meters. It is among the biggest Han graves in China. Since Zhaojun’s grave has been covered with green grass, it also has the name of”Green Grave.”From a distance, the Green Grave stands by itself and appears like a Chinese painting.
Zhaojun’s homeland:Memorial Museum of zhaojun in Baoping Village of Xingshan，Hubei.In Chinese history，Wang Zhaojun is a great lady who dedicated herself to the cause of national peace.People also regard her as a symbol of womanly beauty.For thousands of years legends and folklores about her life have been spread everywhere.After the Tang（618-907）and Song（960-1279）dynasties，scholars created poetry，songs，paintings，and dramas on Zhaojun’s topic.Jian Bozan，a history scholar，summarized the Zhaojun culture as the follows”Wang Zhaojun is not just a figure but a symbol of good will between the ethnic groups.The grave of Zhaojun is not just a grave but a cenotaph of ethnic friendship.”
