Yongzhao Mausoleum—the resting place of Emperor Renzong of the Northern Song Dynasty, Zhao Zhen

Yongzhao Mausoleum is the resting place of Emperor Renzong of the Northern Song Dynasty, Zhao Zhen, who was the sixth son of Emperor Zhenzong, Zhao Heng, and the crown prince in the folk tale 'The Civet Cat Exchanged for the Prince'. Born in the third year of Dazhong Xiangfu (1010 AD), he reigned for forty-two years. During his reign, science and culture flourished, and the country was at its zenith. He passed away in the eighth year of Jiayou (1063 AD) and was buried in Yongzhao Mausoleum (present-day Gongyi City). The entire mausoleum complex follows the principles of Feng Shui and geomancy, built according to the terrain, nestled against mountains and near water, consisting of the 'Emperor's Mausoleum', 'Empress's Mausoleum', and 'Xia Gong'. The stone statues along the Sacred Way are tall and imposing, with more than twenty pairs of symmetrically arranged stone figures, stone tigers, stone horses, and stone vermilion birds, among others. The warriors are tall and valiant, loyally guarding the palace gates, the stone tigers are powerfully and robustly sculpted, the stone sheep have a serene and delicate appearance, and the stone vermilion birds with wings spread as if ready to fly are particularly exquisitely carved.