The Eternal Legacy of Genghis Khan

During a snowy weekend in March, this writer stepped upon the vast plateau of Inner Mongolia en route to visit the mausoleum of Genghis Khan.

Some 700 years ago, the tribal chief then known as Tiemuzhen led his expeditionary mounted force to unite the Mongolian ethnic group. Thus he assumed the title "Genghis Khan", a name meaning "Invincible Ruler," and he was revered as the "Proud Son of Heaven."

He and his descendants continued their martial quests throughout northern Asia until 1279, when his grandson, Kublai Khan, founded the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368). The Mongolian rulers steadily expanded the Yuan territory to 32 million square kilometers. Their dynasty eventually stretched beyond Asia to the European continent.

Today, in the territory of Ejin Horo Banner on the Ordos Grassland in southwestern Inner Mongolia, in traditional Mongolian style the palace-like mausoleum of Genghis Khan stands in silent tribute to this remarkable historic leader.

History and Legend

Legend has it that during his expedition into the Western Xia regime, Genghis Khan passed the Ordos Grassland. As he marveled at the lush vegetation and abundant deer, the whip in his hand suddenly dropped to the ground. A solider was about to pick it up but was stopped by Genghis Khan." After my death, bury me here," he said. At this command his loyal soldiers buried the whip and mounded earth above the spot.

In August 1227 Genghis Khan died on Liupan Mountain in western China, and his subordinates began to transport the ruler's clothes, yurts and coffin to his hometown. As the caravan arrived in Ejin Horo region on the Ordos Grassland, the wheels of the hearse sank into the mud. Realizing the impossibility of extricating the wagon from the mud, and thinking of the ruler's wish before his death, the soldiers buried the coffin there. Five hundred nomadic families were chosen to stand guard at the mausoleum, and these devoted people would endure in lineage, with subsequent generations serving as loyal defenders of the great warrior's final resting place.

Collectively, this tribe became known as the "Dalhut," in Mongolian meaning "Guardians of the Sacred Mausoleum." The Mongolian nobles, who traditionally believed in Shamanism, buried their dead with no tomb and worshipped their souls. After the death of Genghis Khan, to facilitate the offering of sacrifices to him, eight white yurts were erected. These held his former earthly possessions.

In the years that followed, the yurts, known as the Eight White Chambers, migrated along with the nomadic tribe from place to place to finally reach Junwang Banner in the early Qing Period (1644-1911). This place was then renamed Ejin Horo (meaning "Mausoleum of the Emperor"). Thereafter, on this site a grand sacrificial ritual was held each year, and the observation of this tradition gradually contributed to the formation of a complete ritual system.

In June 1939, during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, the Eight White Chambers were moved from Ejin Horo to Xinglong Mountain, Gansu Province. Here they were enshrined in the Hall of the Great Buddha for 10 years. In the summer of 1949, they were moved to Ta'er Monastery in Qinghai Province. Finally, in April 1954, the Eight White Chambers were returned to Ejin Horo.

Magnificent Mausoleum

After a large-scale renovation in 2006, the cemetery of Genghis Khan today spans an area of 55,000 square meters. Set off by snow, the evergreen pines and cypress trees surround the mausoleum like imposing guards.

Upon entering the grounds, this writer first saw a traditional-style memorial archway. Behind this portal are 10 flights of nine stairs leading to the mausoleum. A 6.6-meter-high bronze sculpture of Genghis Khan mounted upon his steed stands at the midway point of the stairs. The main body of the mausoleum consists of a gate modeled after the city tower of the Yuan Dynasty and three connected halls in the design of Mongolian yurt.

The halls comprise six sections: the Main Hall, East Hall, West Hall, East Corridor, West Corridor, and Rear Hall. The Main Hall is 26 meters in height, the East and West Halls reach 23 meters, and the Rear Hall and the corridors are 20 meters in height. Flanking the main buildings are the newly-constructed Suliding Sacrificial Altar and Shanggenghanrge White House.

The Main Hall features eight huge columns adorned with the design of dragons playing with pearls, and enshrined in the center is a five-meter-high white marble statue of Genghis Khan.

In front of the statue is a long table engraved with dragon designs, on which various offerings accompany the butter lamp emitting lasting light. Behind the statue is a map of the Asia-Euro territory which Genghis Khan conquered centuries ago. On display beside the statue are swords, helmets and bows, the personal armaments of Genghis Khan.

The Rear Hall encompasses three of the "Eight White Chambers," all clad with yellow satin. The central yurt houses the coffins of Genghis Khan and his three wives, while the others house the coffins of his two brothers. In the East Hall are the coffins of the fourth son of Genghis Khan (father of Kublai Khan) and his wife, and in the West Hall are nine pikes, which symbolize nine generals under the command of Genghis Khan, as well as broadswords and horsewhips actually wielded by the legendary fighter.

Ceremony and Custom

In ancient times, the Mongolian people adhered to the worship of souls in accordance with the practice of Shamanism, in the belief that the soul and flesh of human beings separate after death. In light of this custom, the camel hair which absorbed the last breath of Genghis Khan - his soul - is now stored in the mausoleum.

For centuries the Dalhut people have loyally safeguarded the mausoleum and steadfastly observed the custom of offering sacrifices to the coffin of Genghis Khan. Each year on this site, on the 21st day of the third lunar month, a grand sacrificial ceremony attracts Mongolian visitors from near and far.

In serving over the ages as the guardians of Genghis Khan's mausoleum, the Dalhut people also created a song for the sacrificial ceremony. Today, many of the prevailing customs of the Mongolian ethnic group derive from the ancient sacrificial rites conceived in honor of Genghis Khan.

The fire-worshiping rite, for example, has evolved into the custom of offering sacrifices to the God of the Kitchen on the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month; the milk-worshiping rite has evolved into the Milk Festival on the grassland; and the rite of offering songs while proposing toasts has become part of the unique wine culture of the Mongolian people. The sacrificial rite offered to Genghis Khan dates to the 13th Century and is characterized by the Mongolians' worship of the heavens, their ancestors, and heroic figures. The ritual is considered a "living fossil" of the ethnic culture of the Mongolians.

In recent years the number of people attending the sacrificial ceremony has steadily increased, and the scale of the event has expanded. In 2006, the Genghis Khan sacrificial ceremony was included on the first list of National Intangible Cultural Heritages. Currently, official efforts are underway to apply to UNESCO for designation of the sacrificial ceremony as a World Cultural Heritage.

Culture and Legacy

Facing Genghis Khan's mausoleum is the 80-square-kilometer Genghis Khan Tourist Zone, which encompasses a cultural sightseeing area, a complex of Mongolian yurts devoted to catering, accommodation, and amusement, and a Mongolian folk customs zone. Established two years ago, the tourist zone is now a leading tourist attraction in Inner Mongolia and one of the 33 national demonstration bases for cultural industry.

Viewed from afar, the gate of the cultural sightseeing zone presents an imposing visage. The structure is in the shape of the Chinese character for mountain, and resembles a huge peak cleaved from the summit. The walls are engraved with typical Mongolian characters of the 13th Century and cliff paintings unique to the Mongolian grasslands. Suited to the imposing thematic effect, a sculpture of Genghis Khan mounted on his horse stands at the center of things, formidable in posture and overall effect.

Beyond the gate is a complex of 360 martial-themed sculptures on the snow-covered grassland. These stand as a memorial to Genghis Khan's victorious expeditions and conquests in Asia and Europe.

Complimenting the sculptures, a huge map showcases the entire territory of the Mongolian Yuan Empire, which spanned 32 million square kilometers. Holding valuable Mongolian cultural relics and exquisite utensils unique to the Mongolian ethnic group created since the period of Genghis Khan, is the Mongolian History Museum, exteriorly designed in the shape of a Mongolian character meaning Emperor."

Among the priceless treasures of the museum is a 206-meter-long oil painting on canvas, which vividly depicts 206 years of history from the birth of Genghis Khan to the Mongolian Yuan' withdrawal from its capital, Beijing, to the northern grassland and establishment of the Northern Yuan regime.

The investor responsible for the Genghis Khan Tourist Zone, a local private entrepreneur, hopes to introduce to the public and spread the Genghis Khan culture, while driving development of the local economy by representing the military and political merits of Genghis Khan, as well as the ethnic culture created by this Mongolian monarch.

Famous painters of the Yuan Dynasty

From its origins in the Warring States Period, painting in China evolved from simple representations of people and objects, to complex and evocative landscapes.

Early paintings were quite functional with a defined purpose, either to be used as tomb art or to represent particular religious or philosophical teachings. Later periods saw more freedom of expression and individualism emerge in painting. Particularly by the Yuan Dynasty, several such artists rose in popularity fame in the Chinese art world, and there are groups of painters from both the Yuan and Ming Dynasties who are still highly regarded today.

Literati Painting

The style of Literati painting became very popular during the Yuan Dynasty. This was an extension of the court painting commissioned for specific purposes in previous times. The artists were typically intellectuals and court officials, but they began to introduce more artistic elements into their work, producing paintings that were more expressive rather than just representational. The artists emphasized a scholarly execution of brush strokes and unique combinations of colors rather than previous typical presentations that showed just a true likeness of the images being painted.

Four Masters of the Yuan Dynasty

Several individuals emerged as leaders in this field of literati painting, and they are still regarded today as the “masters of the Yuan Dynasty.” They developed this field of painting, producing beautiful landscape works of an expressive style, and these artists had a lasting influence on the later development of painting styles.

These masters were Huang Gongwang, Wu Zhen, Ni Zan, Wang Meng. Huang Gongwang and Wu Zhen were active in the early part of the Dynasty, and their work typically takes subjects and themes from painters of previous times and re-expresses them in a more free and individualistic way.

Ni Zan and Wang Meng are regarded as being more experimental. Active in the later part of the Dynasty, they built on many of the trends that had previously taken root and produced more unique work. Much of the work by Ni Zan focused on sparse landscapes of water and trees, painting that, at first glance, make it seem difficult for a viewer to see the true nature of the painting. He famously said once of the style he created, “I use bamboo painting to write out the exhilaration in my breast, that is all. Why should I worry whether it shows likeness or not.”