The rivers were rumored to be shimmering and spectacular.

Archaeologists doubted it, though, because waterways of Mercury seem to be more fiction than fact,

but still, they were curious to see if these silvery rivers and other stories about Emperor

Shinchi Huon's tomb were true.

Shinchi Huon became China's first emperor in 21 BC, after six other Chinese states

fell to him in bloody battles.

While it's true that he was responsible for the deaths of untold thousands during his tumultuous

reign, he was also credited with stimulating significant cultural and

intellectual advancement. He was passionate about infrastructure, too. Among other things,

he ordered the construction of a canal that linked the Yangtze and the Pearl River systems,

an extensive network of roadways, and the creation of provinces, as well as China's Great Wall.

It shouldn't surprise you to know then that he also began constructing his enormous underground mausoleum 36 years before his death. And

when I say enormous, I really mean it. He built something more than a grave. He created a sprawling

underground compound, the size of an American football field.

Tradition tells us that his inner burial chamber, which has yet to be excavated to this day,

by the way, contains a scale replica of his empire.

It was something like a giant dollhouse, a country in miniature, that Shinchi Huan

plan to preside over in death.

Legend tells us that he included facsimiles of animals, laborers, stables, offices,

and statues of government officials.

He ordered the creation of palaces and towers and scenic vistas.

And as I mentioned a moment ago, it was also said that he wanted Mercury Rivers.

...