The Three Royal Tombs

　　The Bohai Three Royal Tombs royal burial area is situated on the north bank of the Mudan River, approximately

　　5

　　kilometers

　　northwest of the ruins of Shangjing Longquanfu. The tombs are spread over a large area, extending about

　　1000

　　meters

　　from east to west and

　　500

　　meters

　　from north to south, with three or four independent mausoleums within this region.

　　The “Three Spirit Tombs” refer to

　　1

　　st tomb in the Three Royal Tombs royal burial area, known as the

　　1

　　st Tomb of the Three Royal Tombs.

　　The “Three Spirit Tombs”—the 1st Tomb of the Three Royal Tombs—face south toward sunlight and back north against the hills, nestled against green mountains to the north and overlooking flowing water to the south, flanked by gullies and valleys, and set at a distance from the ancient capital. Ancient people regarded this as a geomantically auspicious site; about

　　3

　　kilometers to the northwest lies an area called “Fengshui Waizi” (Geomantic Bend).

　　The “Three Spirit Tombs”—the 1st Tomb of the Three Royal Tombs—were looted during the Qing Dynasty’s Daoguang era and have suffered severe damage. However, it is still possible to see that the tomb chamber was built with polished stone slabs, coated externally with lime, and features a central stone coffin platform. Artifacts discovered atop and around the tomb, such as foundation stones, inscribed tiles, floral bricks, green-glazed tiles, and stone lions, indicate that an opulent ceremonial hall once stood above the “Three Spirit Tombs,” surrounded by walls.

　　1

　　Tomb No. 1 was looted during the Daoguang reign of the Qing Dynasty and suffered severe damage. However, it can still be seen that the tomb chamber was built with polished stone slabs, coated with lime on the outside, and had a central stone coffin platform. Artifacts discovered on the tomb roof and nearby—including plinths, inscribed tiles, floral bricks, green-glazed tiles, and stone lions—indicate that a luxurious ceremonial hall once stood atop the “Three Spirits Tombs,” surrounded by walls.

　　In the late

　　1980s to the

　　1990s

　　late

　　90

　　In the early 1930s, cultural heritage workers in Heilongjiang Province conducted physical electromagnetic surveys in the area of the "Three Spirit Tombs." The survey covered an area

　　15

　　square kilometers, and revealed that besides the "Three Spirit Tombs," there were also

　　5

　　or

　　6

　　other large-scale tombs, some of which featured murals. It can be basically confirmed that the area around the Three Spirit Tombs is one of the important royal burial grounds of the Bohai Kingdom.

　　Based on the physical survey, a new tomb was excavated—the "Third Tomb No. 2."

　　2

　　The "Third Tomb No. 2" is a large stone-chamber mural tomb from the Bohai period and was

　　2

　　one of the top ten archaeological discoveries in China in

　　1991

　　. The entire tomb chamber is built underground, with the roof slightly protruding above ground level. The tomb consists of three parts: a passageway, an entrance corridor, and the main chamber. All are constructed from neatly arranged basalt blocks and slabs. The floor of the tomb chamber has a sunken groove-like structure, with a neat rectangular pit in the center containing

　　15

　　human skeletons, mostly adults along with infants. Their heads face south, lying supine with limbs extended. The corridor and chamber walls as well as the ceiling feature exquisite murals, depicting figures and floral patterns, most of which have now peeled off. No burial objects were found inside the tomb. However, pottery fragments, inscribed tiles, and iron arrowheads were discovered in the fill soil. The "Third Tomb No. 2," located within the royal tomb area, features exquisitely built chambers but lacks burial goods, and contains multiple burials—a highly unusual phenomenon that poses a challenging research question.

　　2

　　The "Third Tomb No. 2"