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China's first modernized fully underground ruins museum, Han Dynasty (BC206-AD220) Yang Mausoleum external pit protective exhibition hall, was formally open to tourists on March 31.

Yang Mausoleum was the tomb of Liu Qi, the fourth emperor of the West Han Dynasty (BC206-AD8), and his queen. The mausoleum covers 12 square kilometers in area, equal to one-third of ancient Xi'an, the largest city in the world at that time. It is a major unit for national protection of cultural relics.

To protect the environment and view of the mausoleum, the newly-built exhibition hall adopts the approach of fully underground exhibition. Tourists cannot see the museum when walking on the Sacred Way to the mausoleum (the axle road of an imperial mausoleum specially laid for the late emperor). Entering the museum with red as the main color, visitors can see rows of clay animals "sleeping" underground, seemingly waiting for visitors, through non-reflecting glass with the help of the multimedia technology and light imaging technology.

Wu Xiaocong, director of the Han Dynasty Yang Mausoleum archaeological gallery, said that the facilities inside the exhibition hall adopt products with high technological content, such as the water source heat pump air-conditioning and ventilation system which uses terrestrial heat to realize environmental protection and energy saving, and the light and convenient hanging lift for the disabled. Most importantly, the museum uses large special glass to fully enclose all exhibits for protection and display, almost reliving the original appearance before the excavation for visitors.

According to Li Ku, director of the Han Dynasty Yang Mausoleum exhibition department, advanced light imaging technology enables the museum to "reproduce" some historical scenes and "resurrect" some historical figures such as Han Emperor Jing Liu Qi.