CCTV China Central Television ---- Discovery Journey The Mystery of Yang Guifei's Life and Death

Author: Xue Jijun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: "Journey to Discovery" is the only science exploration documentary program on China Central Television (CCTV). It examines the course of human civilization from a scientific perspective and pursues the truth of facts with a spirit of discovery, exploring 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," "Unknown Heroes of the Communist Party's Hidden War—Yan Baohang," and "48 Hours of Terror."
In 756, 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 soldiers accompanying them suddenly rebelled, killed the prime minister Yang Guozhong of the Tang Dynasty, and demanded the execution of Yang Guifei. Forced by the soldiers, Emperor Li Longji had to order Yang Guifei to commit suicide. A year later, Emperor Li Longji sent eunuchs to rebury Yang Guifei, but the people who went back only brought back the perfumed pouches she had carried with her. From then on, rumors spread among the people that Yang Guifei's remains were missing and that she might have survived. Today, the rebuilt mausoleum of Yang Guifei on Mawei is just a symbolic tomb. In Hongmei Village at the foot of Mount Tianhu in Sichuan, there is a thousand-year-old tomb. The villagers have passed down through generations that this is Yang Guifei's tomb. However, after excavation, the facts were far from the villagers' legends. What actually happened on Mawei over a thousand years ago? Is the rumor of Yang Guifei's remains missing and her possible survival true? Yang Guifei was ordered to commit suicide by Emperor Li Longji, but a year later, the people sent to rebury her disappeared without her remains. Japanese actress Yoko Kimura claimed to the media that she was a descendant of Yang Guifei. Historical records show that the idea of Yang Guifei fleeing to Japan has long existed, and there are many 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 to Japan and lived there until her death. Could Yang Guifei have survived over a thousand years ago? Under the primitive conditions of that time, would it have been possible for her to reach Japan?