The taboos of the Ming Tombs in the eyes of the tomb keepers
The Ming Tombs are located in Tianshou Mountain (formerly known as Huangtu Mountain) in Changping District, Beijing. It is located in a small basin surrounded by mountains on three sides in the east, west and north. The tomb area is surrounded by mountains, with the central part being There is a plain with a meandering river in front of the mausoleum. It can be said to be an excellent Feng Shui location for the imperial mausoleum. This is a rare large-scale imperial mausoleum where 13 emperors are buried. Naturally, I went there with admiration.
My guide was a fat gentleman with an excellent eloquence and humor. He lived in a village near the Ming Tombs and was considered a local.
Where did the residents near the imperial mausoleum come from? The so-called villagers are the descendants of the tomb keeper. It was through his mouth that I learned some of the taboos passed down from generation to generation.
In China, whether it is the Forbidden City or some other large buildings, most of them have three main doors for people to enter and exit: the main entrance can only be entered and exited by the emperor at ordinary times; when the emperor is getting married, the empress can enter once; The top three picks, the second pick, and the third pick can walk out of this door once. In the Qing Dynasty, civil and military ministers entered and exited through the left door, and clan princes entered and exited through the right door.
There are three doors to enter the Ming Tombs. According to the custom of Chinese architecture, many people will choose to enter through the middle door. At first, even I thought so. But before I could step in, Mr. Fat grabbed me.
"Little girl, you can't just walk through this door."
Is there anything else to say? !
"The three gates of the Ming Tombs, the right side is for princes and ministers, the left side is for the emperor...the middle gate is reserved for the dead. It is not already dead Instead, they were the maids, eunuchs, and concubines of the old emperor who were carrying the offerings—a group of living 'burial objects.' ”
Following the guide’s advice, I entered through the door on the right. Accompanied by a sudden gust of wind and the rustling of leaves, the marble slabs underfoot sent a slight chill through the thin soles of the shoes.
Three gates, three kinds of people, three kinds of destiny.
Fresh and innocent lives are buried underground because of one thing - a dead person.
Walking along the stone road, you will soon see large animal stone sculptures. There are quite a variety of animals, including camels and elephants. Camels mostly grow in the northwest; elephants mostly live in the southwest. These two animals are carved in the imperial tombs to flaunt the vast territory of the emperor during his reign and to be worshiped by all directions.
The Dingling Tomb of the Ming Dynasty is the tomb of Emperor Shenzongxian Zhu Yijun (reign Wanli), the 13th emperor of the Ming Dynasty. His two queens (Xiaoduan and Xiaojing) are also buried here. Dingling is famous because of its underground palace.
Leaving the warm embrace of the sun, I walked down the stone steps step by step with the crowd. The underground palace is very deep and the journey is long. In my mind, I was still recalling the superstitious words of Mr. Fat just now:
"It's not really a big deal, but you'd better eat something before going in." Mr. Fat seemed casual, but his tone was a little serious. .
I said amusedly, "Why? Can't you bring him an 'offering'?"
"The underground palace has a strong yin energy, and people are the weakest when they are hungry. You Still a girl... Anyway, it’s not good. Also, it’s best not to take photos after entering, especially selfies.”
“I don’t like taking photos.”
"That's the best. Although this underground palace is a tourist attraction, it is still a tomb. Taking selfies in the tomb has a bad connotation. Last but not least, after walking out, stamp your feet, pat your clothes, and say 'I'm back.' ."
Maybe it was a bit superstitious, but I still smiled and nodded. Mr. Fat always means well.
In the quiet underground palace, there is a cold breeze. It seems gloomy, but also a little desolate.
The largest objects as far as the eye can see are the vermilion coffins. Emperor Wanli and his two queens once rested here. There have been times when we have worked hard to govern, and there have been times when we have been lazy and negligent in governance. Regardless of merits or demerits, they have finally turned into a handful of loess.
The wheel of history will not stop for anyone.
Although the world of mortals is chaotic, I am just a vulgar person who is greedy for the warmth of the world. No matter who says it is vulgar.
Stomping his feet, patting his clothes, and saying,
"I'm back!"
Outside the underground palace, the sun was so dazzling that it made people feel moved.
It’s good to be alive.
Picture source network, intrusion and deletion~