Many people will instantly recognize images of the famous Terracotta Army standing guard over Qin Shihuang's tomb. Qin Shihuang, the first emperor of the Qin dynasty, ordered the construction of the Terracotta Army to protect his tomb from invaders in both the natural and supernatural world. Plans for building the mausoleum began soon after Shihuang assumed the role of emperor, and labor continued on the mausoleum for 37 years. Although it is estimated that 7,000 soldiers were constructed, roughly 2,000 have been unearthed.
Lenin's mausoleum has held the preserved remains of the former leader since his death in 1924. During World War II, Lenin's remains were evacuated to a more isolated location in Siberia due to the imminent threat of Nazi invasion. Moscow-Taxi reports that the mausoleum remains one of the most visited attractions in Russia, with thousands of tourists visiting the site every year. Immediately after his death, Lenin's body was interred in a much smaller mausoleum near the Kremlin. After a successful attempt at embalming, Alexei Shchusev was commissioned to construct the final resting place of the Russian leader.
Although his body has not been found, Genghis Khan's memory is memorialized at the ceremonial mausoleum in Inner Mongolia. Prior to his death, Genghis Khan requested an anonymous burial. Although it is known that his coffin was carried to central Mongolia, a record of the exact location has not been discovered. The mausoleum was constructed between the years 1954 and 1956. The original mausoleum, along with a number of priceless artifacts, were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. Although the mausoleum was later rebuilt, many of the original treasures and ornaments no longer exist.
