Tubo Tombs

Tubo Tombs

The Tubo Tombs are a cultural tourism attraction.

Introduction Located on the west bank of Rehotgou in Rehot Township, Dulan County, about 10 kilometers from downtown Dulan. It is a large-scale early Tang Dynasty Tubo tomb complex and also the first such discovery in China. The tombs are distributed across four natural villages — Rehot, Zhamari, Shar’tang, and Xiewai — along a stretch of approximately 7 kilometers. From 1982 to 1986, the Qinghai Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology conducted excavations and clean-ups here. Most of the tombs had been looted, and in 1986, the site was designated as a national-level cultural heritage protection unit.

Each tomb has a burial mound, either trapezoidal or circular in shape. They were constructed using rammed earth or a base of gravel covered with rammed earth, with layers of tamarisk branches placed between the rammed layers. Beneath the rammed earth lies a stone wall built in the shape of an isosceles trapezoid, edged with adobe bricks or mud balls and coated externally with red stone powder. The burial chambers are built of stone and consist of a passageway, central chamber, side chambers on both sides, and a rear chamber. In front of the burial mounds are large sacrificial pits, wooden carts, wooden slips, glassware, and gold and silver utensils. The silk fabrics feature over 130 unique patterns including Buddha images, flying horses, and various designs. Some relics and patterns exhibit distinct Central Asian stylistic features.

There are more than 200 tombs of varying sizes, one of which is situated atop a natural hill. The tomb mound backs onto the Rehot Mountain and faces the Chahanwusu River, rising about 30 meters above the ground and appearing majestic from afar like a city gate. The tomb stands 11 meters high, 55 meters long from east to west, and 37 meters wide from north to south. Beneath the mound are three layers of stone walls mixed with clay and rammed earth, each 1 meter high and 3 meters wide. From top to bottom, at intervals of about 1 meter, there are nine layers of neatly arranged wooden beams running horizontally through the mound, all made of uniformly thick cypress wood. This type of burial mound structure and style is unique among previous archaeological findings in China. To the south of the tomb are accompanying burial pits and relics.

Archaeological excavations have unearthed artifacts such as leather boots, gold ornaments, wooden bowls, wooden plates, wooden birds and beasts, pottery jars, ancient Tibetan wooden slips, and painted cypress wood fragments. Notably, a batch of vibrant silk fabrics was discovered. These silks are of high quality, with clear patterns and vivid colors, making them rare treasures. The varieties include plain silk, damask, satin, and embroidery. The patterns feature exotic birds and animals, flowers and trees, hunting scenes with chariots and figures, depictions of Western Region people, and embroidered socks — all of which were found in China for the first time.

Qinghai Delingha