Missing out in Xi'an

[JLBadgley]

My wife and I headed over to Xi'an recently. We were thrilled to go to the site of ancient Chang'an (oh, and also where Qin Shihuangdi's terracotta army was buried). We were very pleased to see the tomb where the "Ambassadors" mural is found*:



But as we were leaving Wu Zetian's tomb on the last day we were told about this site that all the Japanese like to visit--the grave of A Bei Zhong Ma Lu.

I'm not sure if it is actually his grave, but apparently there is an epitaph to him, and possibly even writing of his in the Stele Forest, which we were visiting for another purpose.

Sigh.

I guess it means I'll just have to go back. I didn't realize that there was anything over there like that extant, memorializing him or the other Japanese students.


-Josh

*Of course, we were both relieved and disappointed when we learned that most of the murals have been removed for preservation and replaced with replicas--because if this is original then there was *nothing* to protect it from the severe decay that is ongoing.

Also, just because a lot of people claim that this shows a Japanese ambassador--I don't see it. I think that it shows one Korean ambassador and one from the "Western Regions" based on his round-necked robe and facial features.

[shikisoku]

A Bei Zhong Ma Lu 阿倍仲麻呂　Abeno Nakamaro
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[lordameth]

Ooooh. Nakamaro. That I'd like to see.

Note to self: Don't miss Nakamaro's grave if/when you go to Xian.
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My blog on Japanese art & history: http://chaari.wordpress.com

紫水晶殿 - The Amethyst Lord

[JLBadgley]

Doh! Sorry--Shiki, thanks for giving the Japanese name. I'd forgotten to do that.

The "stele forest", where some of his writings are at, is where, since the Song dynasty, they collected various stellae and stored them at a single Confucian temple. It is now a mecca for calligraphy artists to come and study the hands of past masters, as the styles are considered to be true representations of the form (painted on a piece of paper glued to the stone, then chiseled out by master stone cutters).

-Josh