Singularités architecturales du cimetière impérial des Xixia : le monument funéraire

The Xixia (Western Xia) imperial necropolis, nestled against the Helan Mountains, lies about 35 km west of Yinchuan, the present capital of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region of China. The necropolis contains the tombs of nine emperors of the Xixia dynasty (1038-1227) and more than 200 auxiliary tombs. Each imperial tomb comprises several constructions, including an imposing solid mound originally resembling a pagoda. In addition to having a distinctive shape, the monument is built in the north-western part of the inner precinct of the tomb and not at its centre. Furthermore, and most surprisingly, it does not indicate the location of the underground chamber, for it is not placed directly on top of the latter. These features have never been observed in traditional Chinese imperial funerary architecture, nor in those of other bordering states. The paucity of information about these singularities led to our current research, which is focused on an architectural analysis of the xixia imperial tombs. By integrating religious and political considerations into our interpretation, we seek to reveal the influences at work in the conception of this necropolis and the choice of its location. Our analysis also assesses the extent and the originality of the Tangut contribution.