What exactly was Yongzheng’s purpose in building the Western Tombs of the Qing Dynasty against orthodoxy?

The Qing Dynasty, the last feudal dynasty in China, built the tombs of the Eastern and Western Emperors in Zunhua and Yixian County, Hebei Province respectively. The Eastern Tombs of the Qing Dynasty are located 30 kilometers northwest of Zunhua, Hebei Province, and 125 kilometers west of downtown Beijing. It is the largest, most complete, and most appropriately laid out imperial mausoleum complex in China. The Western Mausoleum of the Qing Dynasty is located at the foot of Yongning Mountain, 15 kilometers west of Yixian County, Hebei Province, and more than 120 kilometers away from Beijing. It is the second royal cemetery opened by the Qing Dynasty. The mausoleum in Zunhua is called Dongling, and the mausoleum in Yi County is customarily called Xiling. The Eastern Tombs of the Qing Dynasty are located in the east of the capital, and the Western Tombs of the Qing Dynasty are in the west of the capital. This arrangement of being juxtaposed in China and accompanying the capital is rare in Chinese history.

The construction of the Eastern Tombs of the Qing Dynasty began in 1661 (the 18th year of Shunzhi) and lasted 247 years. 217 palace archways and 15 large and small cemeteries were successively built. The entire mausoleum is 12.5 kilometers long from north to south and 20 kilometers wide from east to west. It contains the burials of Shunzhi, Kangxi, Qianlong, Xianfeng and Tongzhi

5 emperors, 15 queens, 136 concubines, 3 elder brothers, 2 Princess ***161 people.

The Western Mausoleum of the Qing Dynasty was built in the eighth year of Yongzheng (1730), and the Chongling Mausoleum of Guangxu was completed in the fourth year of the Republic of China (1915). After 186 years, 14 mausoleums were built in Japan, including

4 imperial mausoleums, 3 empress mausoleums, and 7 other mausoleums. Buried there are 4 emperors Yongzheng, Jiaqing, Daoguang and Guangxu, 9 queens, 56 concubines and about 80 people including princes and princesses. It is one of the most complete preserved mausoleums among the royal mausoleum complex in China.

So why did Yongzheng have to "start over again" to locate the Western Qing Tombs when he already had the Eastern Qing Tombs? This seems to be inconsistent with the Qing Dynasty's rules of governing the world with filial piety. According to common sense, Emperor Yongzheng should choose a site to build a mausoleum next to Kangxi Jingling Mausoleum, so that his father and son can be buried with him. However, Yongzheng did not do this and chose the site to build the mausoleum in Yixian County, which is more than 200 miles away from his father's mausoleum. What is going on?

In fact, the choice of mausoleums for feudal dynasties throughout the ages is closely related to landscape and feng shui. Because the choice of the feng shui of the mausoleum is a major issue related to the country, the country, the country, and the reproduction of descendants, it will not be decided casually. Emperor Shunzhi also understood this truth after entering the Pass for the first time. The site of the Eastern Tomb of the Qing Dynasty was personally selected by Emperor Shunzhi (reigned 1644-1661). In the eighth year of Shunzhi (1652), Shunzhi came to Jingdong for inspection. When I came to the foot of Changrui Mountain, I saw that there was plenty of sunshine and purple mist. It was a beautiful place with magnificent mountains and rivers and natural scenery. Emperor Shunzhi's thoughts flashed, and he declared: "This mountain is lush and lush, and it can be my palace of longevity" (see Volume 86 of "Manuscript of Qing History"). After saying this, he took the robe and threw it out, and set the place where it fell. It is a lucky point. So the Qing Dynasty built the first mausoleum of the Eastern Tomb of Qing Dynasty here. The rulers of the Qing Dynasty believed that Changrui Mountain is the place where the three major dragons of Changbai Mountain, Taihang Mountain and Yanshan are connected. The aura of the world is gathered here. It can be said that the land is perfect and the scenery is natural. It shows the long history, deep roots and luxuriant leaves of the Qing Dynasty's national destiny. .

After the establishment of the Eastern Tombs of the Qing Dynasty, the sequence organization of the Qing Dynasty's mausoleums was basically established. The mausoleums strictly followed the principle of "the mausoleum system is commensurate with the landscape", and they must not only "comply with the regulations of the ceremony", but also "Cooperate with the winning momentum of mountains and rivers."