[Correspondent Diary] Will the Emperor from 2000 Years Ago Be Revived in China?

Confirmed Tomb of Emperor Wen, the 5th Emperor and Son of Han Dynasty Founder Liu Bang
Symbol of China's Prosperous Era... Aligns with President Xi Jinping's Common Prosperity Policy

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Jo Young-shin] The tomb of Wen Di (Emperor Wen), the fourth son of Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty and the fifth emperor, has been discovered. Wen Di was a figure from over 2,000 years ago, whose personal name was Hang. He was the grandfather of Emperor Wu (Liu Che), the starting point of the Northeast Project (Dongbei Gongcheng).

Photo by Xinhua News Agency Capture

Chinese media including Xinhua News Agency reported on the 14th that the Changchun Grand Tomb located in Bailuyuan, Xi'an City, Shanxi Province, has been confirmed as the tomb of Wen Di of the Han Dynasty (Western Han). The Changchun Grand Tomb has a flat layout in the shape of the character '亞' (Ya), measuring 1,200 meters east to west and 863 meters north to south, making it one of the largest tombs discovered from the Western Han period, according to Xinhua and other Chinese media. The tomb of Wen Di, Liu Hang, is said to be 72 meters long and 30 meters deep.

The Chinese National Cultural Heritage Administration analyzed over 1,500 artifacts excavated from the tomb, including luxurious gold burial items, clothing, and bronze seals, concluding that the Changchun Grand Tomb is indeed Wen Di's tomb.

Wen Di is recorded in Chinese history as a figure who promoted agriculture and lowered taxes to lead economic revival. His son, Emperor Jing (Liu Qi), the sixth emperor, is also evaluated as having inherited and developed his father's policies. The reigns of Wen Di and Jing are referred to as the "Rule of Wen and Jing" (Wenjing Zhi Zhi) in Chinese history, symbolizing a prosperous era. They are also known for dispatching officials to local regions to strengthen centralization.

The excavation of a 2,000-year-old emperor's tomb is an intriguing event. Moreover, given that the Chinese leadership is currently advocating "common prosperity" (a utopian society where everyone lives well), the discovery of the tomb of a historical figure symbolizing a prosperous era is even more fascinating.

Photo by Xinhua News Agency Capture

Common prosperity is a fundamental socialist theory first mentioned by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the 10th Central Financial and Economic Affairs Commission meeting last August. Outside China, common prosperity is interpreted as a political slogan for President Xi’s third term.

From this perspective, the discovery of Wen Di's tomb comes at a remarkable timing. The Chinese government is likely to re-examine and emphasize how prosperous China was during the Han Dynasty based on the artifacts excavated from Wen Di’s tomb.

It is also possible that President Xi’s political philosophy might be directly or indirectly glorified by drawing parallels with Wen Di’s governance philosophy. Overseas media often refer to President Xi Jinping as Emperor Xi.

In the past, China praised former President Hu Jintao by comparing him to Emperor Wu. Emperor Wu is a figure associated with the Northeast Project, which gives us unpleasant memories.

Just as Emperor Wu was used for historical distortion, the discovery of the tomb of a figure from 2,000 years ago might be politically exploited in some way, which makes the report feel less like a purely historical event.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.