Overview and characteristics of the Ming Tombs
Civilization left to the world: The Ming Tombs are included in the World Cultural Heritage
The emperors of the Ming Dynasty did not see beyond the Great Wall, and when they were buried at the southern foot of Tianshou Mountain in the suburbs of Beijing Hundreds of years later, these mysterious emperors and their tombs attracted the attention of the world.
The 27th UNESCO World Heritage Conference held in Paris, France, decided at 0:00 on the 4th, Beijing time, that the Ming Tombs in Beijing and the Xiaoling Tombs of the Ming Dynasty in Nanjing would be expanded projects of the "Royal Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties" Officially included in the World Heritage List.
Typical examples of Chinese imperial mausoleum architecture
On July 2, visitors visited the Changling Shinto of the Ming Tombs. Changling Shinto starts from the stone archway in the south of the mausoleum area in the south and ends at Changling Mausoleum Gate in the north, with a total distance of 7,300 meters. There are stone archways, Sankong Stone Bridge, Dahongmen, Shixiangsheng, Longfengmen and other tomb ritual buildings in sequence. The 18 pairs of stone statues on both sides, including the standing unicorn, the standing statue, the reclining camel, and the general, are exquisitely carved and lifelike. They are the most representative stone sculptures of the Ming Tombs.
The Ming Tombs are the collective name for the tombs of the thirteen emperors after the Ming Dynasty moved its capital to Beijing. It is located at the southern foot of Tianshou Mountain in the north of Changping District, Beijing, covering an area of more than 40 square kilometers. From the construction of Changling Tombs in 1409 to the construction of Siling Tombs in the first year of Shunzhi in the Qing Dynasty, the Ming Tombs were successively built in the Changling, Xian, Jing, Yu, Mao, Tai, Kang, Yong, Zhao, Ding, Qing, and Qing Tombs for more than 200 years. De and Si, there are thirteen emperors buried in ***. It is the most well-preserved ancient tomb complex among the imperial mausoleums of all dynasties in China and has the largest number of emperors buried there. Its architecture is majestic, its system is complete, and it has a long history. It has extremely high historical and cultural relic value and is highly valued by the country. It was listed as a national key cultural relic protection unit in 1961 and a national key scenic spot in 1982. Its long history and culture and rich cultural relics and historic sites are not only the splendid cultural achievements created by the ancient Chinese people, but also the unique wealth of people all over the world.
There are stone statues on both sides of the Changling Shinto of the Ming Tombs.
The stone statues on both sides of the Changling Shinto of the Ming Dynasty Tombs bear generals.
The Ming Tombs have attracted world attention because they are not only a typical example of Chinese imperial mausoleum architecture, but also the best witness to China's long history and civilization.
The Ming Tombs are the collective name for the tombs of the 13 emperors after the Ming Dynasty moved the capital to Beijing. They are located at the foothills of Tianshou Mountain in the north of Changping District, Beijing. From the construction of Changling in 1409 to the construction of Siling in the early years of Qingshun, Changling (Chengzu), Xianling (Renzong), Jingling (Xuanzong), Yuling (Yingzong), and Maoling were built successively over more than 200 years. (Xianzong), Tailing (Xiaozong), Kangling (Wuzong), Yongling (Shizong), Zhaoling (Muzong), Dingling (Shenzong), Qingling (Guangzong), Deling (Xizong), Siling ( Sizong), so it is called the Ming Tombs. The mausoleum building has the characteristics of large scale, complete system and relatively complete preservation. The mausoleum houses 13 emperors, 23 queens, 1 imperial concubine and dozens of buried imperial concubines.
In addition to the emperor's mausoleum, there are 7 tombs of imperial concubines of the Ming Dynasty, 1 eunuch tomb, as well as several ancillary buildings such as palaces, shrine supervisors, and ancestral sacrificial offices in the mausoleum area.
The Ming Dynasty advocated the etiquette system of "death as life" and believed that after death, the soul still exists and still needs food and daily life. Therefore, the architecture of these thirteen emperors' mausoleums is similar to that of royal palaces, with red walls and yellow tiles, and staggered buildings and halls, showing the esteemed status of the True Dragon Emperor and the grandeur of his dominion over the world.
Under the guidance of traditional Chinese Feng Shui theory, from site selection to planning and design, the Ming Tombs paid great attention to the harmonious unity of the mausoleum architecture and the natural mountains, rivers, water flows and vegetation, and pursued the "creation in heaven and earth" The perfect state is used to embody the philosophical point of view of "the unity of nature and man". As an outstanding representative of ancient Chinese imperial tombs, the Ming Tombs display the rich connotation of Chinese traditional culture.
The Ming Tombs have a history of more than 200 years, starting from the construction of Changling, the first mausoleum, in 1409 AD, to the construction of the Siling Mausoleum of Emperor Chongxu, the founder of the Ming Dynasty, in the early Qing Dynasty. Since then, it has gone through different historical periods such as the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China. Its historical relics are not only excellent material for studying the Ming Dynasty mausoleum system, funeral ceremonies, sacrificial rituals, official system, construction technology, craftsmanship, politics, economy, culture and other aspects, but also record the vicissitudes of the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China. history.
Three Characteristics of the Ming Tombs
Comparing the tombs of Chinese emperors of past dynasties, the Ming Tombs have three obvious characteristics.
First, the integrity of the buildings in the mausoleum area is particularly outstanding. The setting up of the tomb areas of ancient Chinese emperors appeared as early as the middle of the Warring States Period with the construction of tombs. Its guidance originated from the "cemetery" system in ancient my country, which used clans as units and burials according to the rank of nobles and patriarchal ritual relationships. The size of the mausoleum areas and the layout of the buildings in each era are different, leaving a way out for the imperial mausoleums of other eras. I will not praise or criticize them, but only talk about the differences.
In the Tang Dynasty and Northern Song Dynasty, each cemetery had its own gate, Shinto and stone carvings, all of which formed their own system. Although they form a whole geographically, they do not pay attention to the overall affiliation and overall connection with each other in terms of architectural setting.
The Ming Tombs are different. Although each tomb has its own Xiangdian, Minglou, and Baocheng, and is an independent unit, within the mausoleum area, the Changling Shinto serves as the core of each tomb. The emergence of the "general Shinto" used in ancient times, the use of stone archways and stone carvings, and the orderly burial methods of each tomb made the buildings in the mausoleum area closely connected, and the mausoleums formed a whole.
Second, the mausoleum construction system has its own unique style. Imperial mausoleums in ancient China were from the Qin and Han Dynasties to the Tang and Song Dynasties. The above-ground mausoleums were mostly built with a bucket-shaped mausoleum (mausoleum) as the center, with a sleeping hall in front, surrounded by square walls and gates on all sides, and a Shinto in front, forming a generally balanced and symmetrical structure. Fengling system. When Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang of the Ming Dynasty built the Xiaoling Mausoleum, he changed the ancient system and innovated it into the front (square courtyard) and the back circle (round treasure city). The Baoding, Minglou and Xiangdian are arranged vertically along the central axis of the new cemetery layout. The Shinto in front of the mausoleum adopts a winding road shape with multiple turns.
The architectural layout of the Ming Tombs basically inherited the Xiaoling system, but there were some changes. For example: the setting of the holy monument in the Ming Building of the Ming Tombs Terrace further highlights the marking function of the building. The setting of Lingxing and Baocheng Horse Road is more convenient for patrolling the cemetery than Xiaoling. The stone in front of the square city and the The setting of the Lingxing Gate adds to the commemorative atmosphere of the mausoleum and adds embellishments to the empty front yard of the square city.
On the deep and winding Shinto of Changling Mausoleum of the Ming Dynasty, the tomb ceremonial facilities such as the Zhaoyu Gate (Dahongmen), the Divine Merit Stele Pavilion, the Stone Sculpture, and the Dragon and Phoenix Gate are arranged, which originated from the Xiaoling Mausoleum system. However, the installation of the stone archway in front of the Zhaoyu Gate, the replacement of the stone pillars with stone statues during their lifetime, and the addition of statues of heroes during the lifetime of the stone statues are all new creations. The shape of the tomb chambers in the Ming Tombs is also very unique. It is different from the wooden coffin chamber system with yellow intestines in the Qin and Han Dynasties, and also different from the practice of digging mountains into caves in the Tang Dynasty. Instead, it has glazed components buried deep underground. A true palatial building.
Third, the natural environment is elegant and spectacular. The location selection of ancient Chinese emperors' tombs was mostly influenced by Kanyu Feng Shui. Since the royal tomb sites of the Ming Dynasty were selected using the Jiangxi method that was popular at the time, that is, the Feng Shui technique of Xiangzong Zong, which focused on the matching relationship between dragons, caves, sand, and water, and the auspicious site of Tianshou Mountain where the Ming Tombs are located was also It was selected by Liao Junqing and others, a famous Feng Shui master in Jiangxi during the Yongle period. Therefore, the natural environment of the Ming Tombs is surrounded by green mountains on all sides, with a wide open hall in the middle. The water flow is curved and traversed, and the location of each tomb is backed by mountains and facing water, surrounded by mountain guards on the left and right. Compared with the mausoleums built on the plains, the natural landscape of this mausoleum site is more pleasing to the eye, rich and colorful, and can better show the solemnity and grandeur of the emperor's mausoleum.
The main buildings of each tomb are still preserved to this day
The environment of the Ming Tombs consists of mountains, rivers, forests, vegetation and many other elements. The relevant management agencies have determined the names of ancient trees in the tomb area. The wood was registered, filed, and kept in its original condition. The water system of the mausoleum area has undergone major changes, except for the construction of an additional mausoleum in the southeast of the mausoleum area, which will not affect the safety of the mausoleum.
The Changling Ren'en Hall of the Ming Tombs is the main building among the ground buildings of the Changling Tombs. It is located on a Xumizuo-style platform surrounded by three-story white marble railings. It is one of the few in China. , a well-preserved large-scale nanmu temple.
Changling Ren'en Hall of the Ming Tombs is supported by 60 large nanmu pillars. Such a grand nanmu building is rare in the world.
The diamond wall leading to the underground palace in the Dingling Tombs of the Thirteen Tombs of the Ming Dynasty.
In order to preserve the unique landscape of the Ming Tombs, Beijing has spent 170 million yuan on large-scale demolition and renovation of the mausoleum area. This includes the demolition of 80,000 square meters of residential houses and buildings within 50 meters of each mausoleum of the Ming Tombs; in order to ensure a consistent color tone, the visible buildings within 30 meters on both sides of the highway will be painted gray; the commercial pavilions in the open scenic area will be demolished. Add Chinese and English signage; and bury the wires around the mausoleum underground.
According to Nie Youyi, deputy director of the Ming Tombs Special Administrative Region Office, the Deling repair project with an investment of 38 million has come to an end. This year, the maintenance work of Kangling and Qingling has started one after another. It is expected that 400 million yuan will be spent to complete the restoration of seven dilapidated mausoleums before 2008.
Underground in the Ming Tombs Baocheng is the Xuan Palace building where the tomb owner is buried. Except for the reconstruction of the Siling Mausoleum series, each mausoleum city maintains its original shape and is relatively complete. Ming Tower, only Siling Mausoleum no longer exists (destroyed before the founding of the People's Republic of China). When Zhaoling Ming Tower was renovated in 1986, it was restored according to the original Ming Dynasty system. The remaining mausoleum towers are still preserved today.
Among the tombs, only Dingling underwent archaeological excavation in 1956. In addition to the necessary protective nets, the Dingling Xuan Palace was covered with protective rubber skin, and the unearthed cultural relics were properly stored in the warehouse. Except for preservation, other mausoleum and tomb buildings maintain their original authenticity and integrity. The original buildings of each mausoleum city were built like the Lin'en Gate, the Lin'en Hall, the left and right side halls, the sacred silk furnace, the Lingxing Gate, the five stone offerings and the slaughtering pavilion, the divine kitchen, the divine storehouse and other buildings.
Except for the Changling Mausoleum, which is now well preserved, and the Lin'en Gate and Lin'en Hall, which were rebuilt in 1986 in Zhaoling, the rest of the existing Jin'en Hall, Lin'en Gate and Shensi Furnace are in the People's Republic of China and the People's Republic of China. Some of them partially collapsed before they were founded, and some of them preserved their building foundations and have not changed to this day. The slaughtering pavilions, divine kitchens, and divine treasuries of each mausoleum maintain their original ruins except Zhaoling, which was rebuilt on the original site in 1990.
There is a Shinto in front of each mausoleum. The main buildings of the Changling Shinto such as the stone archway, the Dahongmen, the sacred monument pavilion, the stone statues, and the Dragon and Phoenix Gate are well preserved. Among them, the sacred monument pavilion is well preserved. , Dahongmen and Longfengmen were repaired after the founding of the People's Republic of China. The rest of the Shinto tombs and stele pavilions of divine merits and virtues were demolished in the Qing Dynasty, and the stone stele and some stone bridges still exist. During the Ming Dynasty, a large number of pine and cypress trees were planted inside and outside each mausoleum palace and on both sides of the shrine. Today, the pine and cypress trees are growing luxuriantly in the mausoleum palace. More pines and cypresses on both sides of the Shinto were cut down than in the Qing Dynasty. In addition to each mausoleum palace, there were auxiliary buildings such as shrines, ancestral halls, and court rooms in the Ming Dynasty. Among these buildings, shrines had become natural villages during the Qing Dynasty, but the walls and gatehouses still existed. In addition, the temple's sacrificial office and court rooms were destroyed in the Qing Dynasty, and no relics have been preserved. The concubine tombs and eunuch tombs in the mausoleum area were successively reclaimed as farmland in the late Qing Dynasty. Their buildings preserved underground tombs, and the above-ground mausoleum buildings preserved ruins and some stone carvings. The palace, Jiulong Pond and the walls of each mountain pass were destroyed in the Qing Dynasty, and some remnants are now preserved.
Generally speaking, the Ming Tombs have experienced three different historical periods: the middle and late Qing Dynasty, the Republic of China period, and the Republic of China. Over the hundreds of years, they have suffered from wind, rain, thunder, hail and other natural disasters. Despite the damage caused by factors and local man-made destruction, the main buildings of each mausoleum are still well preserved, the layout of the mausoleum is clear and complete, and the underground tombs are well preserved. The ancient buildings and ruins have not been subjected to excessive intervention or changes by future generations, and the natural environment has not been damaged. The authenticity and integrity are very high.
Why are the Ming Tombs included in the World Cultural Heritage
World Heritage refers to the rare and irreplaceable wealth of mankind recognized by UNESCO and the World Heritage Committee. Cultural relics, monuments and natural landscapes recognized by mankind as having outstanding significance and universal value. It includes four categories: "World Cultural Heritage", "World Natural Heritage", "World Cultural and Natural Heritage" and "Cultural Landscape". At the 27th World Heritage Conference held in Paris, France, 37 heritage projects from 32 countries were submitted. According to UNESCO regulations, a country can only declare one heritage site per year. The "Three Parallel Rivers" scenic spot in Yunnan, China, has been listed as a "World Natural Heritage". This time, as an additional project, the Ming Tombs are not included in the application quota limit. It and the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum in Nanjing are both applied for world cultural heritage as an expansion project of the "Ming and Qing Royal Mausoleums". Experts believe that the Ming Tombs can be selected into the heritage list because it meets many of the necessary criteria for inclusion.
The Ming Tombs are an excellent example of ancient Chinese architecture. The Tombs of the Ming Dynasty are large in scale, complete in system, careful in site selection, sophisticated in design, meticulous in construction, and sophisticated in materials. Its layout and operation, while satisfying the ritual functions, are closely integrated with natural environmental factors such as mountains, rivers, and water flows, reaching a very high artistic level. Buildings such as the Stone Archway, the Stone Sculpture, the Changling Lin'en Gate, the Lin'en Hall and the Dingling Underground Palace are all exquisite masterpieces of ancient Chinese architecture with their generous shapes and fine materials.
The inner palace of the Dingling Tombs of the Thirteen Tombs of the Ming Dynasty consists of five stone structure halls in the front, middle, back, left and right. Among them, the apse of the underground palace is 30.1 meters wide, 9.1 meters deep, and 9.5 meters high at the top.
The burial objects unearthed from the Dingling Tombs of the Thirteen Tombs of the Ming Dynasty - gold basins and other vessels.
The Qingling Tombs of the Ming Tombs are under emergency repair.
The Ming Tombs not only followed the system of the previous dynasty, but also made innovations, and had a profound impact on the mausoleum system of the Qing Dynasty. The main tomb shrines of the Eastern Tombs of the Qing Dynasty and the Western Tombs of the Qing Dynasty, which have been included in the World Cultural Heritage List, are built with stone archways, Dahongmen, sacred stele pavilions, stone statues, and dragon and phoenix gates in sequence from front to back, as well as the layout of the front and rear circles of each tomb. The layout of the mausoleum, including the arrangement of Baocheng, Minglou, stone memorial table, two-column archway gate, three gates, Longen Hall, and Longen Gate along the longitudinal central axis, all drew on the mausoleum system of the Ming Tombs. The layout of the Tailing Mausoleum of the Qing Dynasty and the Zhaoling Mausoleum of the Ming Dynasty are almost exactly the same. This shows that the Ming Tombs had a significant impact on later generations in terms of the mausoleum system.
The Ming Tombs record most of the history of the Ming Dynasty. Changling, the first tomb of the Thirteen Tombs of the Ming Dynasty, was built in 1409 AD, which has a history of nearly 600 years ago. The last Siling Mausoleum built has a history of more than 350 years. It records the rise and fall of the Ming Dynasty from one aspect. It also records the development of culture, history, science and technology in the Ming Dynasty. The tomb owners of the Ming Tombs involve 13 of the 16 emperors of the Ming Dynasty, as well as 23 queens and concubines related to the burial system. Among these 13 emperors, Zhu Di, the lord of the Changling Tomb and the founder of the Ming Dynasty, made many achievements in government affairs during his reign. For example, moving the capital to Beijing, compiling the "Yongle Dadian", and sending the eunuch Zheng He to the West were all major events in Chinese history. The two tombs of Xian and Jing are the masters of Renzong Zhu Gaochi and Xuanzong Zhu Zhanji. During their reign, they raised the army and raised the people, worked diligently on government affairs, and paid attention to agriculture and mulberry, which led to great development of productivity and a relatively stable period, known in history as "Benevolence". "Xuanzhizhi". Sejong Zhu Houcong, the master of Yongling Tomb, reigned for 45 years, and famous historical events such as Qi Jiguang's resistance against the Japanese and Hai Rui's dismissal from office occurred. In the early years of the reign of Zhu Jun, the master of the Dingling Tomb, there was a major historical event in which the famous politician Zhang Juzheng implemented reforms. Zhu Youjian, the owner of the Si Mausoleum, Sizong, was the subjugated king of the Ming Dynasty. The declining Ming Dynasty had no way to recover when he came to the throne, and was eventually overthrown by a peasant uprising.
In addition, in the construction of the Ming Tombs, famous Ming Dynasty engineers and technicians such as Kuai Xiang and Lu Xiang participated. The famous calligrapher Nan Yun's calligraphy was engraved on the sacred monument of the Chang Tomb of the Ming Dynasty. Dan, the inscription on the "Stele of Divine Merits and Virtues in Changling of the Ming Dynasty" written by Emperor Renzong of the Ming Dynasty and written by Zhu Gaochi, and the poems and essays written by Emperors Qianlong and Jiaqing of the Qing Dynasty.
Experts comment on the Ming Tombs
In August 2002, Li Xianghai, an official from the United Nations Heritage Committee and an expert from the International Council on Monuments and Sites, conducted an inspection and evaluation of the Ming Tombs. He believes that the Ming Tombs are a model of Chinese royal tombs and an excellent example of ancient Chinese architecture. The natural environment of the Ming Tombs is elegant, the mausoleum buildings are large in scale and the system is complete, the overall architecture is outstanding, and the mausoleum system has a unique style. The mausoleums are combined into a perfect and harmonious whole, breaking through the Tang and Song Dynasty mausoleum buildings that did not pay attention to each other and the whole. The pattern of the mausoleum has developed into a brand-new architectural form of the mausoleum. It is a masterpiece of Chinese architectural art in the more than 200 years of history of the Ming Dynasty. It is the highest representative of mausoleum planning and construction. Its architectural style and form influenced the next hundreds of years and had a profound influence on the future. The Qing Emperor's Mausoleum had a huge impact. The layout of the mausoleums and the style of the mausoleums in the Eastern Tombs of the Qing Dynasty and the Western Tombs of the Qing Dynasty are based on the architectural form of the Ming Tombs.
The Ming Tombs represent a unique artistic achievement that has had a significant impact on the development of architectural art in a certain cultural field in the world, and can serve as a reference for an existing or a vanished civilization. Provide a unique testimony. As a type of architectural complex, it displays one or several important stages in human history. The Ming Tombs of China meet various standards for world cultural heritage assessment. Luo Zhewen, a well-known expert on ancient architecture, believes that the Ming Tombs bury the main emperors of the Ming Dynasty in a concentrated manner. The mausoleums are arranged according to the terrain. The entire mausoleum area has a center, combined with the mountains and plains, and is based on the mountains. The whole thing is very thoughtfully considered.
The architectural value of the Ming Tombs is extremely high. The Nanmu Hall in Changling is the only one in the country with exquisite stone carvings. Because everyone since the Ming Dynasty, except Emperor Jingtai, was buried here, it shows the entire evolution process of architecture in each dynasty, whether it is architectural form, architectural structure, or architectural art, it is the physical history of Ming Dynasty architecture.
There are also special places in the Ming Tombs, such as wordless monuments.
These interesting things contain profound cultural connotations.
Craftsmen from the Ming Tombs Ancient Construction Company repaired the roof of the Ming Tower in Qingling.
Zheng Xiaoxie, a famous architect, believes that after Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty came to the throne in Nanjing, he decided to "defend the border" and move the capital to Beijing at the foot of the Great Wall. Therefore, moving the capital and building the mausoleum are inseparable.
The Ming Tombs are backed by Tianshou Mountain, with open terrain in front, and the Wenyu River flowing from northwest to southeast. Changling, the ancestral tomb of the Thirteen Tombs of the Ming Dynasty, faces the main peak, and the other tombs also correspond to the peaks. From a Feng Shui perspective, this is an ideal Feng Shui treasure land.
The central axis of Changling is also the central axis of the Ming Tombs. The central axis of each tomb is relatively complementary to Changling. A series of buildings are arranged on the central axis of Changling, which embodies "supporting the yin and embracing the yang, inheriting the same origin". Unlike the Song Dynasty Emperor Mausoleum in Henan, which has stone statues in every tomb, only the Chang Tomb of Thirteen has stone statues.
The Ming Tombs are not all oriented towards the meridian, nor are they completely different in size. The mausoleum of Emperor Ming is more imposing than the mausoleum of Emperor Song. It is built with bricks as a treasure city, and the treasure city is generally circular. The ground-level buildings are complete and reflect a strict hierarchy. Each tomb is defended by eunuchs, and the mountain passes around the tomb area are defended by troops.
The Ming Tombs are an important type in the history of Chinese architecture - of course, this mausoleum system was formed during the Jiajing period. The palace buildings and temple buildings of the Ming Dynasty were more mature than before.