Journey of Discovery -- The Mystery of Yang Guifei's Life and Death

Author: CCTV Discovery Program Team
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-08-01
Features: The Discovery Program is the only science exploration documentary series on CCTV. It examines the progress of human civilization from a scientific perspective, pursues the truth with a spirit of discovery, and explores the mysteries of nature, history, and the vast world. This book includes episodes such as "The Mystery of Yang Guifei's Life and Death," "Lost Traces – Emperor Jianwen," "The Mystery of Luo Binwang's Life and Death," "The Unsung Heroes of the CCP's Hidden War – Yan Baohang," and "48 Hours of Terror."
In 756 AD, the "An Lushan Rebellion" broke out. The elderly Emperor Li Longji took Yang Guifei into exile and reached Mawei in Shaanxi the next day. At that moment, the accompanying soldiers suddenly rebelled, killed the prime minister of the Tang Dynasty, Yang Guozhong, and demanded that Yang Guifei be executed. Forced to comply, Emperor Li Longji ordered Yang Guifei to commit suicide. A year later, Emperor Li Longji sent eunuchs to rebury Yang Guifei, but the men returned only with the fragrant pouches she had carried. Since then, rumors have spread among the people that Yang Guifei's remains were missing and that she might have survived. Today, the rebuilt Mawei Pavilion dedicated to Yang Guifei is merely a symbolic tomb. At Hongmei Village at the foot of Mount Tianhu in Sichuan, there is a thousand-year-old tomb, which the villagers have long believed to be Yang Guifei's. However, excavations have revealed that the facts differ greatly from the villagers' legends. What really happened on the Mawei of over a thousand years ago? Is the rumor of Yang Guifei's remains being missing and her possible survival true? Yang Guifei was ordered to commit suicide by Emperor Li Longji. A year later, the eunuchs sent to rebury her disappeared without her remains. Japanese actress Yoko Okada claimed to be a descendant of Yang Guifei to the media. Historical records show that the idea of Yang Guifei fleeing to Japan has long existed, and there are numerous tombs and statues of her in Japan. Japanese legends say that Yang Guifei did not die back then but was saved by a Tang envoy and lived out her days in Japan. Could Yang Guifei have survived over a thousand years ago under such primitive conditions? Was it possible for her to reach Japan?
This book includes five parts: "The Mystery of Yang Guifei's Life and Death," "Lost Traces – Emperor Jianwen," "The Mystery of Luo Binwang's Life and Death," "The Unsung Heroes of the CCP's Hidden War – Yan Baohang," and "48 Hours of Terror."