Background

Shennongshi, Yandi, was one of the ancestors of the Chinese nation and founder of farming culture. He and Xuanyuanshi, Hunagdi, created the earliest civilization of ancient China, according to historical records, Yandi was born in Suizhou, Hubei. He first traveled to Baoji, Shaanxi and later to the middle reaches of the Yellow River along the Weihe River. Finally, he went to the Jianghan Plains and Hunan, he was poisoned to death when he tasted a kind of herb called Duanchangcao. He was buried at the Mausoleum of Yandi.

The Yandi's Mausoleum is located at Bailuyuan, Luyuan Town in Yanling County (formerly Lingxian County), Hunan Province. Historical records show that a bronze monument was erected in the Han Dynasty and a temple was built in front of the tomb in the Tang Dynasty. Later, the mausoleum has been repaired and worshipped throughout the dynasties. On occasions of major state affairs, the emperors would send their magistrates to offer sacrifices to Yandi. Every spring and autumn, local prefecture and county officials would also pay respect to the mausoleum. Since the Song Dynasty, the mausoleum has undergone as many as 19 large-scale overhauls and expansions. The present elegant and magnificent mausoleum hall was remodeled in 1988.

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