Looting of the Eastern Mausoleum

In the pre-dawn hours of July 8, 1928, the warlord Sun Dianying led his army into the Eastern Mausoleums of the Qing Dynasty in Malanyu, West northwest of Zunhua, Hebei Province. This was the final resting place of the Qing emperors and empresses, that lay about 120 kilometers from the Forbidden City in Beijing. The 78 square-kilometer burial site was for five emperors, 15 empresses and 136 imperial concubines within 15 tombs, including the first Qing emperor Shunzhi (1638-1661), China's longest reigning emperor Kangxi (1654-1722), China's most longlived emperor Qianlong (1711-1799), and the infamous, powerful empress Cixi (1835-1908).

On June 12 of 1928, Sun Dianying, ordered a large scale grave robbing operation that removed almost all the underground funeral objects of the Huifeiling and Yuling Mausoleums and the underground palace of Puxiangyu East Dingling. Ma Futian, Regimental Commander in the 28th Army of Zhang Zuolin had quietly occupied Malanyu. Sun Dianying, ordered Tan Wenjiang, one of his Division commanders to capture the tomb area. At dawn on July 2, Ma Futian was driven away and Tan's army looted the mausoleums in Malanyu. After that, Sun's army went straight to the area of the Eastern Qing Tombs, pretending to engage in war exercises in the area. Tan Wenjiang placed policemen all around, denying access to the area and signs declared the army was "protecting the Tombs" to prevent interference. [2]

The looting operation was directed by Sun Dianying from his car. Trucks were on hand to speed away with the loot as soon as they were loaded. At midnight the engineering corps blew up the entrance, opening the passage leading to the underground palace. The stone door was pried open to give access to the rear room of the grave. Then Sun gave first priority to officers above battalion commander level to collect treasure for themselves. Finally, ordinary soldiers were allowed to take the leftovers. [2] The robbers first took the large treasure objects placed around the remains of Ci Xi, such as jadeite watermelons, grasshoppers and vegetables, jade lotus and coral. They even grabbed objects found beneath the body and ravaged the corpse itself, taking her imperial robe; tearing off her under clothing, shoes and socks, and taking all the pearls and jewels on her body. They even pried open Ci Xi's jaws and took the scarce pearl from her mouth. Finally they looted the objects under the coffin which had been favorites of Ci Xi when she was alive. [2]

While Tan Wenjiang was robbing Ci Xi's tomb, Han Dabao, Brigade Commander under Sun Dianying led another group to Yuling Mausoleum and declared his intention to conduct a war exercise. They blew the entrance and doorways of the underground palace, rushed into the tomb. The coffins of Emperor Qian Long and his two empresses and three concubines were pried open, all the valuables looted and the skeletons thrown into the mud. The soldiers then rushed to Yuling Mausoleum and the underground palace of Puxiangyu East Dingling and looted what they could.

Newspapers reported the grave robbing and the news spread throughout China and around the world. People were outraged. Emperor Aisin-Gioro, who had dismissed Sun from his post, sent telegrams to Chiang Kai-shek; Yan Xishan, Commander of Garrison Force in Beijing; the Central Committee of Kuomintang, and local newspapers asking them to punish Sun Dianying severely. Many others also called for punishment. However, Sun Dianying bribed those who were in a position to discipline him and nothing was done. [2]

After removing the treasures from the graves, Sun and his army sealed the empty chambers with stones. They carted off some of China's greatest treasures, but some things couldn't be easily removed, and the imposing buildings of the mausoleum still survive. [1]

Sources:

[1] Qing Tombs Tell Tales http://www.china-sd.net/eng/sdnews/listnews.asp?classid=159&siteid=2483

[2] The Qing East Imperial Tombs http://www.china.org.cn/english/features/atam/115430.htm