An interesting old saying goes that Suzhou and Hangzhou are good places to live, while Luoyang is a good place to die. Many of the ancient emperors, princes, generals and other public celebrities took this advice and left orders that they were to be buried in Luoyang after their death. There are over 20 ancient tombs dating from the Han Dynasty to the North Song Dynasty. A museum was built at the site where many ancient tombs were excavated.
The museum is at the Mang Hill in the north suburb of the city, about 8 kilometers from the city center. Covering an area of around 3 hectare, it has two parts: the underground and above ground parts. The above ground part contains a Han-style gate, some halls. Tomb models from the Stone Age to the Han Dynasty, restored funerary objects and funeral rituals are displayed in the eastern hall.
The underground section is a tomb groups site which is about 7 meters underground. There are North and South Song Dynasties Hall, Wei and Jin Dynasties Hall, Tang and Song Dynasties Hall and a hall for refined items excavated from the tombs. Many of the vividly painted murals, valuable relics and a number of pottery figures are on display here. Visitors can also find the models of ancient tombs. 22 ancient tombs restored to their original styles are displayed here.
