The Zhaojun Tomb (), located by the Da Hi River nine kilometers south of

Hohhot Hohhot,; abbreviated zh, c=呼市, p=Hūshì, labels=no formerly known as Kweisui, is the capital of Inner Mongolia in the north of the People's Republic of China, serving as the region's administrative, economic and cultural center.''The N ...

Inner Mongolia Inner Mongolia, officially the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. Its border includes most of the length of China's border with the country of Mongolia. Inner Mongolia also accounts for a ...

, is said to be the resting place of Wang Zhaojun, a commoner woman from the

Han dynasty The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by th ...

who married a

Xiongnu The Xiongnu (, ) were a tribal confederation of nomadic peoples who, according to ancient Chinese sources, inhabited the eastern Eurasian Steppe from the 3rd century BC to the late 1st century AD. Modu Chanyu, the supreme leader after 20 ...

Chanyu Chanyu () or Shanyu (), short for Chengli Gutu Chanyu (), was the title used by the supreme rulers of Inner Asian nomads for eight centuries until superseded by the title "'' Khagan''" in 402 CE. The title was most famously used by the rulin ...

'', nomadic chieftain from the steppes. The tomb is also referred to by its Mongolian name, Temür Urkhu (), meaning "Iron Wall". Another nickname, "Green Mound" (), refers to a legend that in autumn, when grass and trees wither, those plants on the cemetery mound continue to prosper. The tomb, one of the major attractions in the city of Hohhot, occupies some 13,000 m² of land, with a 33-metre mound containing Zhaojun's

coffin A coffin is a funerary box used for viewing or keeping a corpse, either for burial or cremation. Sometimes referred to as a casket, any box in which the dead are buried is a coffin, and while a casket was originally regarded as a box for j ...

. The tomb is honorary, Wang Zhaojun is not actually buried here. Her true grave and cause of death is unknown. Still the "tomb" is visited by thousands of Chinese tourists each year and is noted for its attractive scenery. The first Chinese mention of the cemetery in written record is in the

Tang Dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...

, by

Du You Du You () (735 – December 23, 812), courtesy name Junqing (), formally Duke Anjian of Qi (), was a Chinese historian, military general, and politician. He served as chancellor of the Tang Dynasty. Du was born to an eminent aristocratic family in ...

() in ''A Comprehensive Guide'' (). Former Chinese head of state

Dong Biwu Dong Biwu (; 5 March 1886 – 2 April 1975) was a Chinese communist revolutionary and politician, who served as acting Chairman of the People's Republic of China between 1972 and 1975. Early life Dong Biwu was born in Huanggang, Hubei to ...

wrote the inscription on the entrance plaque to the tomb.

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Archaeological sites in China Buildings and structures in Inner Mongolia Tombs in China {{cemetery-stub