What Ming Dynasty ruins are there in Nanjing?

Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum Nanjing Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum is located at the foot of Dulong Fuwan Everest at the southern foot of Zijin Mountain (Zhongshan) in the eastern suburbs of Nanjing City, on the west side of Maoshan Mountain. The founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang, and his queen, Ma Shi, are buried here together. As the first Ming tomb in China, the Ming Xiaoling Tomb is spectacular and magnificent. It represents the highest achievement of architecture and stone carving art in the early Ming Dynasty and directly influenced the shape of imperial tombs in the Ming and Qing dynasties for more than 500 years. The imperial tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties distributed in Beijing, Hubei, Liaoning, Hebei and other places according to the historical process were all built according to the regulations and models of the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum in Nanjing. The Xiaoling Mausoleum of the Ming Dynasty was built in the 14th year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty (1381). Queen Ma died the next year and was buried in this mausoleum. Because Queen Ma was given the posthumous title "Xiaoci", the mausoleum was named "Xiaoling". In the thirty-first year of Hongwu (1398), Zhu Yuanzhang died of illness and the underground palace was used to bury him together with Queen Ma. In the eleventh year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty (1413), the "Stele of Divine Merits and Virtues of the Xiaoling Mausoleum of the Ming Dynasty" was built, and the entire Xiaoling Mausoleum was completed, which took more than 30 years. Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum is also one of the largest existing royal mausoleums in ancient my country, with a history of more than 600 years.

The Ming Xiaoling Tomb has experienced more than 600 years of vicissitudes. The wooden structures of many buildings no longer exist, but the layout of the mausoleum still retains its original grandeur, and the underground tomb remains intact. The main buildings and stone carvings in the mausoleum area, such as the square city, Minglou, Baocheng and Baoding, including Xiamafang, Dajinmen, the stele of divine merits and virtues, the Shinto, and the stone carvings on the stone statue road, are all architectural remains of the Ming Dynasty, maintaining the original appearance of the mausoleum. There is architectural authenticity and integrity of spatial layout. In particular, the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum's "front and back sleeping chambers" and the mausoleum system of three courtyards in the front and back reflect the etiquette system, but what is more prominent is imperial power and politics. The Xiaoling Mausoleum of the Ming Dynasty is one of the largest existing ancient imperial mausoleums. Its mausoleum system not only inherited the system of "building mausoleums based on mountains" in the Tang and Song Dynasties and before, but also pioneered the "mausoleum architecture" by transforming square tombs into circular mounds. The basic pattern of "circle in the front and circle in the back". The regulations for the construction of imperial mausoleums in the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum have always regulated the architectural layout of more than 20 imperial mausoleums in the Ming and Qing dynasties for more than 500 years. It has a special status in the history of the development of Chinese imperial mausoleums. Therefore, the Xiaoling Tomb of the Ming Dynasty can be called the first royal mausoleum of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. This royal mausoleum of the Ming Dynasty with a history of more than 600 years is famous for its prominent owner, large scale, unique shape, and beautiful environment with Zhongshan Mountain at its back. It is one of the largest existing mausoleums in China.

In 1961, Ming Xiaoling Tomb was announced as one of the first batch of national key cultural relics protection units. In July 2003, at the 27th World Heritage Conference, the Xiaoling Mausoleum of the Ming Dynasty was included in the World Heritage List as an expansion project of the "Royal Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties" and became a member of the World Heritage. The World Heritage Committee commented: According to Feng Shui theory, the royal tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties were carefully sited and a large number of buildings were skillfully placed underground. It is the product of human beings changing nature, embodies traditional architectural and decorative ideas, and explains the world view and power view of feudal China that lasted for more than 500 years. The royal mausoleums of the Ming and Qing dynasties are located in Beijing, Hebei, Liaoning, Anhui, Jiangsu and other places. They are a complex of mausoleums for the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties in China. They were built in accordance with strict grade regulations and have a complete above-ground and underground building system. They are rigorous in layout and large in scale. , with gorgeous architecture and exquisite craftsmanship, embodies the highest funeral system in Chinese feudal society. In 2000, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee determined that it met the standards of a world cultural heritage and included the Mingming Tomb, Eastern Qing Tomb, and Western Qing Tomb in the World Heritage List as the royal mausoleums of the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

[Edit this paragraph] Architectural Features

The Shinto stone carvings of Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum are the only Chinese imperial mausoleums that are not in a straight line, but are formed around the Meihua Mountain where the tomb of Sun Quan from the Three Kingdoms era was built. A curved shape that resembles the Big Dipper. The Shinto from Xiamafang in Weigang to Wenwu Fangmen is about 2,400 meters long. The Xiamafang is the entrance to the Xiaoling Mausoleum. It is a stone archway with two pillars. On the forehead pillars are engraved six regular script characters, "Officials of various departments dismount their horses." Civil and military officials visiting the mausoleum must dismount their horses and walk here. Along the Shinto are: Xiamafang, Forbidden Covenant Monument, Golden Gate, Monument Pavilion of Divine Merits and Saint Virtue Monument, Royal Bridge, Stone Statue Road, Stone Pillars, Military Commanders, Civil Ministers, and Lingxing Gate. Pass through the Lingxing Gate and turn northeast to enter the main part of the cemetery. On this north-south axis facing Dulongfu, there are: Jinshui Bridge, Wenwu Square Gate, Xiaoling Gate, Xiaoling Hall, Neihongmen, Fangcheng Minglou, Baoding and other buildings. The mausoleum buildings are all arranged according to the central axis, reflecting the style of traditional Chinese architecture.

Most of the wooden structures on the ground of Xiaoling Mausoleum in the Ming Dynasty were destroyed in the battle between the Qing army and the Taiping Army in 1853. Now only the Xiamafang, the forbidden covenant stele, the inner red gate, the middle wall of the stele pavilion, the stone statue road, and the Fangcheng Ming Dynasty remain. The downstairs and other masonry buildings.

The Xiaoling Mausoleum of the Ming Dynasty has a majestic layout and strict regulations. The tomb's shrine set a precedent of long and winding roads and influenced the Ming and Qing dynasties. The cemetery is 2.62 kilometers deep and the red wall surrounding it was 22.5 kilometers in circumference.

[Edit this paragraph] Historical evolution

The construction project of Xiaoling Mausoleum in Ming Dynasty started in the 14th year of Hongwu (1381), and the main body of the mausoleum such as the Xiangdian Hall was completed in the 16th year of Hongwu. The project involved 100,000 military personnel and was completed in the third year of Yongle (1405), which lasted 25 years. Its overall layout is divided into two parts: one is the Shinto guiding the building, and the other is the main building of the mausoleum.

The Xiaoling Tomb of the Ming Dynasty suffered many heavy losses during the Qing Dynasty. In particular, the wars during the Xianfeng period of the Qing Dynasty almost destroyed the surface buildings of the Xiaoling Tomb of the Ming Dynasty. The royal stele written by Kangxi even fell to the ground and broke. It was not until September of the third year of Tongzhi (1864) that Zeng Guofan was ordered to pay homage to the mausoleum before he began to repair the Xiaoling Tomb of the Ming Dynasty. At that time, Zeng Guofan sent personnel to estimate that the maintenance of Xiaoling Tomb in the Ming Dynasty actually required 200,000 taels of silver. However, the Qing Dynasty was financially strapped. In the end, only 740 taels of silver were used for some minor repairs. The imperial stele "Zhilong Tang and Song Dynasties" was also repaired. It started to bond, and a repaired crack can still be seen on the monument. Originally, people could go around the left and right sides of the stele, but after the 1980s, the entire left and right sides of the stele were fixed with cement, all the way to the roof; so now you have to go out of the Imperial Stele Hall before you can see the back of the turtle.

During the funeral, identical coffins were sent out from various city gates in Nanjing at the same time to confuse tomb robbers. Behind the square city is the underground palace where Zhu Yuanzhang and Queen Ma were buried together, commonly known as "Treasure City". It is a large circular mound with a diameter of about 400 meters. The treasure city is thick and solid, undulating along the mountains. It is built with huge stones at the bottom and exposed bricks at the top. It is about 1 meter thick. On the south stone wall, there are seven characters "This mountain is the tomb of Ming Taizu" engraved on it. During the Ming Dynasty, 100,000 pine trees were planted in the entire cemetery, and 1,000 immortal deer with silver medals were stocked there. By the end of the Ming Dynasty and the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, all was lost. So far, Xiaoling has never been stolen.

According to historical records, Zhu Yuanzhang ordered the construction of the mausoleum in the 14th year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty (1381 AD). In August of the next year, Empress Ma died and was buried in this mausoleum in September, named "Xiaoling". The name of Xiaoling Mausoleum comes from the word "filial piety" in the posthumous title, which means "ruling the world with filial piety". One theory is that Queen Ma's posthumous title means "filial piety", hence the name. The Xiaoling Mausoleum of the Ming Dynasty was built in the 3rd year of Yongle (1405) and lasted 25 years. The Ming royal family successively mobilized 100,000 military personnel, consuming a lot of manpower and material resources. The Xiaoling Mausoleum of the Ming Dynasty is large in scale and majestic in architecture. Its shape is based on the tombs of the Tang and Song dynasties. When it was built, the palaces and pavilions inside the wall were majestic and magnificent. Half of the seventy temples in the Southern Dynasties were enclosed in forbidden gardens. There are 100,000 pine trees planted in the mausoleum and 1,000 deer raised. Due to repeated attacks by war, in addition to the mausoleum and underground palace, only the Shinto, Xiama Archway, Golden Gate, Sifang City, etc. remain in the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum.

The buildings in the tomb area are roughly divided into two groups: the first group is the Shinto part, starting from Xiamafang and ending at the main entrance of Xiaoling; the second group is the main part, starting from the main entrance to Baocheng, Minglou, Chongzhong Until the hill. The existing buildings include the Shenlie Mountain Monument, the Forbidden Covenant Monument, Xiamafang, Dajinmen, Sifangcheng, the Shengongshengde Monument, Xiaoling Hall, and Dashiqiao.

In the thirty-first year of Hongwu (AD 1398), Zhu Yuanzhang, who had been emperor for 31 years, died and was buried in Xiaoling. The underground palace where Zhu Yuanzhang and his queen are buried together is commonly known as "Baocheng". It is a large circular mound with a diameter of about 400 meters. It is surrounded by stone walls. On the south wall is the inscription "This is the tomb of Taizu Ming Dynasty in this mountain". 7 big characters. The treasure city is thick and solid, undulating along the mountains. It is built with huge stones at the bottom and exposed bricks at the top. It is about 1 meter thick. It is one of the largest existing mausoleums in China. After more than 600 years of ups and downs, the walls of Baocheng have partially collapsed in recent years, with the walls peeling off and huge cracks forming in some places due to reverse tearing due to foundation settlement. The Nanjing Municipal Cultural Relics Department has invested more than 3 million yuan and adopted the protection plan of ancient architectural experts from Southeast University to repair the wall in accordance with the requirements of keeping it as old as possible, such as "suturing" cracks, leveling the "wall", and repairing the wall. Deformed walls were repaired and waterproofed to prevent leakage. In order to facilitate tourists to see the true appearance of the "Dragon Veins", a bluestone tourist trail was also built, allowing tourists to climb to the top of the treasure to see the full view of the Xiaoling Tomb of the Ming Dynasty.

[Edit this paragraph] Main buildings and structures

From the official start in the fourteenth year of Hongwu (1381) to the completion in the third year of Yongle (1405), it took 25 years. It successively mobilized 100,000 military personnel, consuming a lot of manpower and material resources, and the scale was huge.

At that time, the imperial wall built from Chaoyang Gate (today's Zhongshan Gate) to Xiaoling Guards to the west and north of the mausoleum was 45 miles long, and more than 5,000 troops were stationed to protect the mausoleum. At that time, the pavilions in the cemetery were connected to each other; the Xiang Palace was filled with smoke, pine trees, and thousands of deer. During the roaring of deer, the momentum was extraordinary. Due to repeated attacks by war, only the Shenlie Mountain Monument, the Xiama Archway, the Golden Gate, the Sifang City and the Shen Gong Duode Monument remain, as well as 24 Shinto stone beasts including lions, Xie Zhi, camel elephants, unicorns, horses and elephants, and Shinto stone pillars. Two, four each for civil servants and military generals.

The Shinto of the mausoleum starts from Sifang City. Sifangcheng is a stele pavilion located between Weiqiao and Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum. It is the "Sacred Merit Stele of the Xiaoling Mausoleum of the Ming Dynasty" built by Zhu Di, the founder of the Ming Dynasty, for his father Zhu Yuanzhang. Its top has been destroyed, leaving only four square walls, inside which is a stone tablet standing on a turtle base, with a height of 8.78 meters. The inscription was written by Zhu Di himself, totaling 2,746 words, detailing the merits of Ming Taizu. The base and forehead of the stele are beautifully carved. From there, the Shinto goes west through Waijinshuiqiao (today's Hongqiao), bypasses Meihua Mountain, and then turns north, with a length of about 1,800 meters. One section is the Stone Elephant Road. On this section of the road, there are 12 pairs of stone animals facing each other. They are 6 kinds of stone beasts: lions, xiezhi, camel elephants, unicorns, horses and elephants. There are two pairs of each kind, with one pair lying down and one side facing each other. opposition. Behind them are a pair of tall Chinese watches with carved clouds and dragons, which are very impressive. On the Shinto that turns to the north, there are four pairs of civil servants and generals wearing armor or python robes. Unfortunately, some of them are damaged. The stone figures and beasts are very large, and the Ming Xiaoling Shinto is an artistic treasure of stone carvings in the Ming Dynasty. The vermilion gate of Xiaoling Mausoleum of Ming Dynasty faces north and south, facing Meihua Mountain. On the forehead of the door are three words "Xiaoling Mausoleum of Ming Dynasty". There is a stone-engraved notice on the east side of the door. During the Xuantong period of the Qing Dynasty, the Liangjiang State Administration of Foreign Affairs and the prefect of Jiangning were engraved with four golden characters "Zhilong Tang and Song Dynasties" in the Six Kingdoms script. It was an inscription written by Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty. There were originally two imperial pavilions behind the stele pavilion, the west one was called the Sacrifice Pavilion, and the east one was called the Weighing and Clothing Hall. Both of them have been destroyed now, with only some stone pillars and stone well railings remaining. The foundation of 64 stone pillars can still be seen at the location of the original Xiangdian Hall. From this, we can imagine that the scale of the Xiangdian Hall was very large. The current Xiangdian Hall was rebuilt in the twelfth year of Tongzhi of the Qing Dynasty (1873). It is much smaller than the original one and houses the portrait of Zhu Yuanzhang. Behind the Xiang Hall is an open space more than 100 meters deep and dozens of meters wide. It was a place for open-air sacrifices in the past. There is a corridor in the middle and lush trees on both sides. There is a stone bridge at the end of the corridor, called the Big Stone Bridge, also known as the Shengxian Bridge, which means that after crossing this bridge, you will reach the "fairyland". To the north of the bridge is a castle-like building 75 meters wide, 16 meters high and 31 meters deep, called the Square City. The square city is built with large stones, with an arched inclined tunnel in the middle and 54 steps to enter. There are stone steps to the east and west of the tunnel to reach the top of the city. There was originally a palace-style open building on the top of the city. The top of the open building and the wooden structure have been destroyed. Now only four brick walls remain. There are three arches on the south side and one arch on each of the other three sides. From the top of the square city, you can see Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum to the east, Plum Blossom Mountain to the south, Sun Yat-sen Botanical Garden to the west, and "Baoding" to the north. Surrounded by lush trees and pines, visitors can't help but think about the ancient times. Baoding is a large circular mound with a diameter of about 400 meters, which is the underground palace where Zhu Yuanzhang and Empress Ma were buried together. It is surrounded by a stone wall. On the south wall is the inscription "This is the tomb of Taizu Ming Dynasty in this mountain". A big character. Meihua Mountain was called Sunlinggang in ancient times because Sun Quan, the monarch of the Eastern Wu Dynasty and his wife during the Three Kingdoms period, were buried here. It is located 300 meters south of the Xiaoling Tomb of the Ming Dynasty.

The Xiaoling Mausoleum of the Ming Dynasty is located in an environment of beautiful mountains and clear waters. The surrounding mountains are ups and downs, surrounded by mountains and rivers, and the humanities and natural landscapes are natural. The cemetery is large in scale and rigorous in layout. The Xiaoling Mausoleum is 2.62 kilometers deep from Xiamafang to Baocheng. The main building of the mausoleum was surrounded by red walls and has a circumference of 2.25 kilometers. The existing ruins can be divided into two parts.

Part One: The winding mausoleum shrine. From Xiamafang to the main gate of Xiaoling (Wenwu Square Gate), it includes Xiamafang, Shenlie Mountain Monument, Dajinmen, Shengongshengde Monument and stele pavilion (commonly known as Sifang City), Shinto stone carvings and Yuhe Bridge.

Xiamafang and Shenlie Mountain Monument: Xiamafang is a stone archway with two columns, 4.94 meters wide and 7.85 meters high. On the forehead of the square are engraved six regular script characters: "Officials of various departments dismount their horses" , it was announced that officials entering the Xiaoling Mausoleum of the Ming Dynasty must dismount their horses and walk to show respect for the founding emperor Zhu Yuanzhang. The Shenlie Mountain Stele is located 36 meters east of Xiamafang. It was erected in the 10th year of Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty (1531). The three characters "Shenlie Mountain" are lightly engraved on the front with double hooks in inscriptions. The original stele pavilion no longer exists, and only the four corner stone pillars remain. foundation. The Shenlie Mountain Monument was erected when Zhongshan was renamed Shenlie Mountain in the 10th year of Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty.

There is a lying stele 17 meters further east, which is the "Forbidden Covenant Stele". It was erected in the 14th year of Chongzhen in the Ming Dynasty (1641). The inscription on the stele is engraved with nine prohibitions prohibiting damage to Xiaoling and Yeling.

The Great Golden Gate, the Stele of Divine Merits and Virtues and the Stele Pavilion: The Great Golden Gate, more than 750 meters northwest of Xiamafang, is the first south gate of Xiaoling Mausoleum. The Golden Gate was originally a building with yellow glazed tiles and double eaves. The existing masonry walls have a stone Xumizuo at the bottom, which is 26.66 meters wide and 8.09 meters deep. There are three door openings in the wall. The middle door is 5.05 meters tall, about The two doors are 4.25 meters high. The stele and pavilion of the divine merits and virtues are located 70 meters due north of Golden Gate. They are the stele and stele pavilion that Zhu Di, the founder of the Ming Dynasty, wrote for Zhu Yuanzhang in the 11th year of Yongle (1413). The Shengongshengde Stele Pavilion was built in the 11th year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty (1413). The building plan is square, so it is commonly known as "Sifang City". It houses the "Da Ming Xiaoling Shengde Shengde Stele" erected by Zhu Di, the founder of the Ming Dynasty, for his father Zhu Yuanzhang. The roof of the building was destroyed. The original stele pavilion was built of bricks and stones, with a square plane. The top of the pavilion structure has disappeared, and now only four walls remain. Each wall has an arched doorway 5 meters wide. It looks like a castle, so it is commonly known as "Sifang". city".

Shinto stone carvings: Go northwest from Sifang City for about 100 meters and cross the Yuhe River to enter the Shinto. The biggest feature of Ming Xiaoling Shinto lies in the perfect combination of architecture and topography. It is different from the linear shape of the shrines of the imperial mausoleums of previous dynasties, but is built in a winding layout completely according to the terrain and mountains. Moreover, stone statues are placed at the nodes of each paragraph to control the space and create a solemn atmosphere. The stone statue was paved with complete bricks from the Six Dynasties, which prevented it from sinking for 600 years. The Shinto extends from east to northwest, with 6 kinds of stone animals, including lions, scorpions, camels, elephants, unicorns and horses, arranged on both sides. There are 2 pairs of each kind, with a total of 12 pairs and 24 pieces. Each kind of stone animals kneels and stands on both sides, and they greet each other along the way. Attendant. These stone animals embody the etiquette requirements of royal tombs, and each has its own meaning: the lion is the king of beasts, showing the majesty of the emperor. It is not only a symbol of imperial power, but also plays the role of suppressing evil spirits and warding off evil spirits; Horns, lion's body, and green hair, it is loyal and upright, and can distinguish right from wrong. It can use its horns to resist guilty people; the camel is a symbol of the desert and the tropics. It means that the Ming Dynasty has a vast territory and the emperor is powerful in all directions; the elephant is a giant among beasts, and it is surrounded by animals. The legs are strong and strong, as solid as a rock, indicating the stability of the country; Qilin is the head of the legendary "four spirits", namely Lin, turtle, dragon, and phoenix. It is a human being who wears scales, does not walk on grass, and does not eat living things. The beast, the male is called Qi and the female is called Lin, which symbolizes "the benevolent and righteous king", good luck and brightness; the horse, in ancient times, was an important mount for emperors to conquer the north and south and unify the country. Among the six kinds of stone animals in the Ming Xiaoling Shinto, the elephant is the largest, weighing 80 tons. In order to transport these stone animals to the Ming Xiaoling Shrine, in winter, water was sprinkled on the road to form ice, and thick bamboo, Wooden rollers were used to complete the transportation task by manually pushing and rolling along the way. This section of the Shinto is now commonly known as the Stone Statue Road, with a total length of 615 meters. At the end of the stone beast, the Shinto turns due north to Lingxing Gate, which is 250 meters long. This section of the Shinto is equipped with stone pillars and stone figures. The two pillars are in the shape of a hexagonal prism, 6.6 meters high, and have cloud and dragon patterns carved on them. Usually the pillars are placed at the front of the Shinto, but the pillars of the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum are placed in the middle of the Shinto. This is also unique to Zhu Yuanzhang. Behind the stone pillars is Weng Zhong standing opposite to the east and west. There are two pairs of military generals, two pairs of civil servants, and eight statues, each with a height of 3.18 meters.

Lingxing Gate and Yuhe Bridge: At the end of the Shinto 18 meters north is the Lingxing Gate. The gate no longer exists and only 6 stone pillar foundations remain. Judging from the ruins, Lingxing Gate should be a three-bay building. Pass the Lingxing Gate and turn 275 meters northeast to reach the Yuhe Bridge, also known as the Jinshui Bridge. Yuhe Bridge is a stone bridge with 5 holes originally and 3 holes now. The bridge foundation and the stone components on both sides of the river are all original from the Ming Dynasty. Passing the Yuhe Bridge to the north and going up the gentle slope is the main building of the mausoleum.

Part 2: The main building of Ming Xiao Mausoleum. From the main gate to Chongqiu, including the Wenwu Square Gate (i.e. the main gate), Stele Hall, Xiang Hall, Dashi Bridge, Square City, Ming Tower, Baoding, etc., there are walls.

Wenwu Square Gate: Wenwu Square Gate is the main entrance of Xiaoling Mausoleum. It originally had 5 door openings, 3 large and 2 small, with 3 arched door openings in the middle and 2 rectangular door openings on both sides. The roof of the veranda is covered with yellow glazed tiles. During the Tongzhi period of the Qing Dynasty, it was rebuilt into a doorway with a Qing stone gate inlay and the three characters "Ming Xiaoling" in regular script inscribed on it. It was renovated in 1999 and restored to its original appearance during the Ming Dynasty. It now has five doors, with yellow tiles, red doors, and red walls. A rectangular door is hung above the main door, and four large gilt characters "Civil and Military Square Gate" are written vertically.

There is a "Special Announcement" stele on the east side of the main entrance. This stele was erected in the first year of Xuantong of the Qing Dynasty (1909) to warn about the precautions for protecting Xiaoling Mausoleum.

Stele Hall: The Stele Hall was originally the middle gate in front of Xiaoling Hall, that is, Xiaoling Gate. It originally had five door openings, but was later destroyed. The current Stele Hall was rebuilt during the Qing Dynasty. It is a three-bay building with red walls and small tiles on the top of the mountain. There is a door in the middle of the north and south. There are 5 inscriptions in the pavilion. According to records in books such as "The History of Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum", there was once a middle gate of Xiaoling Mausoleum of the Ming Dynasty here, but it was destroyed by war. In the Qing Dynasty, the stele hall was rebuilt on the basis of the middle gate and five tall stone tablets were erected. There is a large stone tablet in the middle, and there is a turtle stele underneath. The stele on which it is carried has a distinctive tortoise and a surprisingly short neck. Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty made six southern tours in his life and visited the Xiaoling Mausoleum of the Ming Dynasty five times. There are four large gilt characters written on the stone tablet, "Zhilong Tang and Song Dynasties". The height of the tablet is 3.85 meters, the width is 1.42 meters, and the thickness is 0.38 meters. "Zhilong Tang and Song Dynasties" means to praise the Ming Taizu's state-governing strategy that surpassed that of Tang Taizong Li Shimin and Song Taizu Zhao Kuangyin. This was the imperial inscription when Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty visited the mausoleum in the south of the Yangtze River for the third time in 1699. This is because the Qing Dynasty had just ruled China, and at the beginning of Kangxi's reign, the Han people were dissatisfied with Manchu rule. Under this historical background, Kangxi knew that high-pressure policies alone were not enough, and he had to rely on the Han people. Therefore, Kangxi visited Ming Xiaoling Tomb five times during his six southern tours. This monument was erected by Cao Xueqin's grandfather, Cao Yin, a doctor at the time of "Jiangning Weaving". On the left and right sides of the stele "Zhilong Tang and Song Dynasty" there are two stelae of poems by Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty. There are two steles on the east and west side. The east one is engraved with the record of Emperor Kangxi's first visit to the mausoleum, and the west one is engraved with the story of Emperor Kangxi's third visit to the mausoleum. .

Xiangdian: After the Stele Hall is the Xiaoling Hall, the main building of Xiaoling, which is the Xiangdian. The original Xiaoling Hall has been destroyed, but there are still three layers of Xumizuo platform with a total height of 3.03 meters. There are 56 large column foundations on the platform. There are stone-carved Chi heads on the four corners of the platform base. There are three stepping stones at the front and rear of the main hall. There are still 6 relief stones with Yunlong landscapes. The base of the main hall is 57.30 meters long and 26.6 meters wide, which shows how grand the building was at that time. The original hall enshrines Zhu Yuanzhang and Queen Ma. The existing building is a three-room Xiangdian that was rebuilt twice during the Tongzhi period of the Qing Dynasty. The current hall is the "Ming Xiaoling Historical Materials Exhibition Room". More than 100 meters behind the temple is the large stone bridge, also known as Shengxian Bridge. After crossing the big stone bridge, we arrived at the square city, Minglou and Baoding, the last parts of Xiaoling's ground buildings.

Fangcheng, Minglou, and Baoding: Fangcheng is a huge building in front of Xiaoling Baoding. The exterior is built with large stones. It is 75.26 meters long from east to west, 30.94 meters wide from north to south, and 16.25 meters high in front. , 8.13 meters high at the back, with a Xumizuo at the bottom. There is an arch in the middle of the square city, leading to a circular arched tunnel. Go up the 54 steps and exit the tunnel. Facing you is the south wall of Baoding, which is built with 13 layers of strips of stone. In the middle, "The Tomb of Taizu Ming Dynasty in this Mountain" is engraved horizontally, which is obviously made by later generations. You can climb the Ming Tower along the trails on the left and right sides of Fangcheng. Minglou is located on the square city. It was originally a large building with double eaves and yellow tiles. The roof has long been destroyed, and only four brick walls remain. It is 39.45 meters long from east to west and 18.47 meters wide from north to south. There are three arches on the south and one on each of the other three sides. An arch. To the north of Fangcheng Minglou is Chongqiu, about 400 meters long, which is Baoding, also known as Baocheng. It is the location of the palaces of Zhu Yuanzhang and Queen Ma. The top of the treasure is approximately round, formerly known as Dulong Fu Wan Everest, and is surrounded by brick walls. From 1998 to 1999, the Nanjing Municipal Cultural Relics Bureau and other relevant departments used advanced precision magnetic surveys to confirm that the underground palace of Zhu Yuanzhang's tomb is below this place. It is deeply buried, well-preserved, and has never been stolen.

Liu Xujie, vice president of the Architectural History Society of the Architectural Society of China and professor of architecture at Southeast University, said: "The Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum represents the artistic achievement of royal architecture in the early Ming Dynasty and is the epitome of Chinese mausoleum architecture and mausoleum culture." The Xiaoling Mausoleum of the Ming Dynasty is more than 2,600 meters deep from the starting point of Xiamafang to the Baoding where the underground palace is located. There are more than 30 buildings and stone sculptures of different styles and uses along the way. The overall layout is grand and orderly, and the individual buildings are thick and majestic. , the detailed decoration craftsmanship is exquisite, embodying the wisdom of politicians, artists and architects at that time.

The pioneering status of Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum is also reflected in its winding mausoleum Shinto along the mountainous terrain. The Shinto of the mausoleum starts from Sifang City. Sifangcheng is a stele pavilion located between Wei Bridge and Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum. It is the "Sacred Merit Stele of Xiaoling Mausoleum of the Ming Dynasty" built for his father Zhu Yuanzhang in the third year of Yongle (AD 1405) by Zhu Di, the founder of the Ming Dynasty. Its top has been destroyed, leaving only four square walls, inside which is a stone tablet standing on a turtle base, with a height of 8.78 meters. The inscription was written by Zhu Di himself, totaling 2,746 words, detailing the merits of Ming Taizu. The base and forehead of the stele are beautifully carved.

From there, the Shinto goes west through Waijinshuiqiao (today's Hongqiao), bypasses Meihua Mountain, and then turns north, with a length of about 1,800 meters. One section is the Stone Elephant Road. On this section of the road, there are 12 pairs of stone animals facing each other, including 6 types of lions, camels, elephants and horses. There are two pairs of each type, with one pair lying down and one facing each other. Behind them are a pair of tall Chinese watches with carved clouds and dragons, which are very impressive. On the Shinto that turns to the north, there are four pairs of civil servants and generals wearing armor or python robes, some of which are damaged. The stone men and beasts are all huge in size and are artistic treasures of stone carvings from the Ming Dynasty. Researcher Liang Baiquan, former director of the Nanjing Museum, said: "The Xiaoling Tomb of the Ming Dynasty pioneered the Shinto system for the first emperor's mausoleum as the only Shinto system for later generations' tombs. There are 12 pairs of stone statues and 4 pairs of stone figures distributed on both sides of the Shinto. The stone carvings The style is diverse, the shape is thick and simple, and the overall grandeur and local details are integrated into one, which also represents the highest level of China's stone carving art in the early Ming Dynasty."

The Xiaoling Tomb of the Ming Dynasty changed the layout, platform, and layout of the imperial mausoleums of the Tang and Song Dynasties. The system of walls, upper and lower palaces and the layout of the mausoleum on the cross axis were established for the first time in accordance with the layout of the imperial palace. The three-entry courtyard system of "front facing the back and sleeping in the back" created the basic pattern of the mausoleum building plane being "round in the front and round in the back", which has been standardized since the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Regulations on the construction of more than 20 imperial mausoleums in the two dynasties over 500 years.

The vermilion gate of Xiaoling Mausoleum of Ming Dynasty faces south and faces Meihua Mountain. On the forehead of the door are the words "Xiaoling Mausoleum of Ming Dynasty" written on it. There is a stone notice on the east side of the door. During the Xuantong period of the Qing Dynasty, the Liangjiang Westernization Administration Daotai and the Jiangning Prefecture were engraved in the Six Kingdoms script.

"Zhilong Tang and Song Dynasties" in four golden characters was the third emperor of the Qing Dynasty Kangxi. During the second southern tour, he wrote the inscription himself. There were originally two imperial pavilions behind the stele pavilion. The west one was called the Sacrifice Pavilion, and the east one was called the Weighing and Clothing Hall. Now they have been destroyed, with only some stone pillars and stone well railings remaining. The foundation of 64 stone pillars can still be seen at the location of the original Xiangdian Hall. From this, we can imagine that the scale of the Xiangdian Hall was very large. The current Xiangdian Hall was rebuilt in the twelfth year of Tongzhi of the Qing Dynasty (1873). It is much smaller than the original one and houses the portrait of Zhu Yuanzhang. Behind the Xiang Hall is an open space more than 100 meters deep and dozens of meters wide. It was a place for open-air sacrifices in the past. There is a corridor in the middle and lush trees on both sides. There is a stone bridge at the end of the corridor, called the Big Stone Bridge, also known as the Shengxian Bridge, which means that after crossing this bridge, you will reach the "fairyland".

To the north of the bridge is a castle-like building 75 meters wide, 16 meters high and 31 meters deep, called Fangcheng. It is the last building of Xiaoling Mausoleum in Ming Dynasty. The square city is made of large stones, with an arched inclined tunnel in the middle and 54 steps to enter. There are stone steps to the east and west of the tunnel to reach the top of the city. There was originally a palace-style Minglou on the top of the city. The top of the Minglou and the wooden structure have been destroyed. Now only four brick walls remain. There are three arches on the south side and one arch on each of the other three sides. From the top of the square city, you can see Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum to the east, Plum Blossom Mountain to the south, Sun Yat-sen Botanical Garden to the west, and "Baoding" to the north. Surrounded by lush trees and pines, visitors can't help but think about the ancient times. Baoding is a large circular mound with a diameter of about 400 meters, which is the underground palace where Zhu Yuanzhang and Empress Ma were buried together. It is surrounded by a stone wall. On the south wall is an inscription "This is the tomb of Taizu Ming Dynasty in this mountain". A big character. Meihua Mountain was called Sunlinggang in ancient times because Sun Quan, the monarch of the Eastern Wu Dynasty and his wife during the Three Kingdoms period, were buried here. It is located 300 meters south of Xiaoling Tomb of the Ming Dynasty