Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum Scenic Area

Not recommended, the ticket is 70, there is nothing to see, I thought it would be a big palace, but I was disappointed after walking for more than an hour. The scenic area is very large, and there is nothing to see. It is not worth the ticket. If you go to Nanjing for the first time, I suggest you go to Ming Xiaoling after 5:30, then you don't need to pay for the ticket. A local told me this

I came to the Ming Xiaoling Scenic Area on the last day of the Plum Blossom Festival this year. The crowds had basically passed and it was not the weekend, so I was lucky enough not to mingle with the crowds to appreciate the plum blossoms. I was in a good mood.

There are many places to enjoy plum blossoms in Nanjing, but the Plum Blossom Hill and Plum Blossom Valley in the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum Scenic Area are the most famous. The plum blossoms here are beautiful and of various varieties, white, pink, and red, competing with each other for beauty, and are worthy of being a famous plum blossom viewing area in China, with the reputation of "the best plum blossom mountain in the world". The transportation to the scenic area is also very convenient. You can walk to the Alfalfa Garden Station on Metro Line 2. In this season, the temperature is suitable, the air is fresh, and the flowers are red and green. You can breathe fresh air and enjoy the scenery while walking. Before you realize how far you have walked, the scenic area is already in front of you.

The entire scenic area is very large, mainly the tomb of Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang and Empress Ma. It is one of the largest imperial mausoleums in China with a long history and a large scale. As an excellent example of the combination of traditional Chinese architectural art culture and environmental aesthetics, it represents the highest achievement of architecture and stone carving art in the early Ming Dynasty. This is first clearly reflected in the "Shinto" (I personally think that autumn is the most beautiful time for the "Shinto", with yellow leaves all over the ground, which is especially suitable for taking pictures when there are few people). Later, it had a direct and huge impact on the imperial mausoleums of the Ming and Qing dynasties, and was hailed as the "First Royal Mausoleum of the Ming and Qing Dynasties."

The ticket was booked online one day in advance. I only bought the ticket for the Ming Xiaoling Scenic Area, and did not buy a combined ticket. The ticket is 70 yuan on normal days, 60 yuan during the Plum Blossom Festival, and 50 yuan on China-TravelNote. If you have honey, there is a discount. Because the order was placed the day before, there was no text message, and I thought there was a problem. I was going to call to inquire if there was no news in the morning. As a result, I received a confirmation text message in the middle of the night. I don’t know if it’s because the ticket is valid on the same day so the text message was sent on the same day, or if this order happened by chance. I hope that there will be improvements in the future and timely information will be provided. There is no need to exchange tickets when you arrive at the scenic spot. You can scan the code at the entrance to enter directly, which is very convenient.

The mausoleum of Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang and Empress Ma is one of the largest mausoleums of emperors in ancient my country. It is an example of the Chinese Feng Shui. Looking from the top of the square city, you can see the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum to the east, Plum Blossom Hill (where Sun Quan, the king of the Wu Dynasty, and his wife were buried) to the south, the Sun Yat-sen Botanical Garden to the west, and the "Baoding" to the north. Surrounded by lush trees and pine trees, it makes visitors feel nostalgic. It is definitely a must-see attraction in Nanjing. Tickets are a bit expensive, but acceptable.

Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum is located at the southern foot of Zhongshan Mountain in the east of Nanjing. It was built between 1381 and 1413. It is the joint tomb of Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang and Empress Xiaoci Gao Ma Xiuying. Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum created the architectural model of the imperial mausoleum of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Abandoning the previous Tang Dynasty's mausoleum pattern of using mountains as mausoleums and the Song Dynasty's mausoleum pattern of building earth on flat ground, it established the "front court and back bedroom" three-courtyard system for the first time according to the layout of the imperial palace, creating the basic pattern of the mausoleum building plane with "front front and back circle". Along the sacred road, there are: Dismounting Archway, Prohibition Monument, Dajin Gate, Monument Pavilion of Divine Merit and Sacred Virtue (Four-sided City), Imperial Bridge, Stone Statue Road (Stone Beasts), Stone Observation Pillar, Weng Zhong Road (military generals, civil officials), and Lingxing Gate. After passing Lingxing Gate and turning northeast, you will enter the main part of the mausoleum. On the north-south axis facing Dulongfu, there are: Jinshui Bridge, Wenwu Square Gate, Xiaoling Gate, Xiaoling Hall, Inner Red Gate, Fangcheng Minglou, Baoding and other buildings. Xiaoling has 16 pairs of stone statues, including 2 pairs of civil officials, 2 pairs of military generals, 1 pair of standing and lying horses, 1 pair of standing and sitting unicorns, 1 pair of standing and lying elephants, 1 pair of standing and lying camels, 1 pair of standing and sitting ni (xiezhi), and 1 pair of standing and sitting lions. There is also a pair of lookout columns. There are 2 more pairs of stone statues than in the general Ming and Qing imperial tombs. Zhu Yuanzhang abandoned the tradition of setting up a que tower in the center of the sacred road in the Han, Tang and Song imperial tombs, and instead built a lookout column. The sacred road is curved, and its direction forms a shape close to the Big Dipper. The Shengong Shengde Pavilion was built in 1413, and contains a huge stone tablet inscribed by Zhu Yuanzhang's son Zhu Di to praise Zhu Yuanzhang's achievements. The base and the tablet were left at that time. In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, from the emperor to the common people, when offering sacrifices to the Xiaoling Mausoleum, they had to dismount from their horses, sedan chairs, and cars at the Xiamafang, and walk along the road to worship. In the Ming Dynasty, the Xiaoling Guard was set up, and more than 5,600 soldiers were arranged to guard and maintain the Xiaoling Mausoleum. Three major sacrifices and five minor sacrifices were held routinely every year. In the Ming Dynasty, when there were major state affairs, the emperor would send envoys to report and offer sacrifices. In order to win the hearts of the people, the Qing Dynasty always paid attention to protecting the Xiaoling Mausoleum. In 1684, when Kangxi pacified Taiwan, he toured Jiangning in the south and personally offered sacrifices to the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum. He knelt three times and kowtowed nine times, and inscribed the Zhilong Tang and Song Stele to win the hearts of the people. Unfortunately, during the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom period, the Qing army's Jiangnan camp fought with the Taiping Army in this area, and all the wooden buildings on the ground were destroyed. The Danbi Stone of the Xian Hall was also demolished by Hong Xiuquan to build the Heavenly King's Palace. After the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom was pacified during the Tongzhi period of the Qing Dynasty, there was no money to rebuild the Xiaoling Mausoleum, so they only re-erected the Zhilong Tang and Song Stele and built a simple Xiaoling Mausoleum Gate and Xiaoling Xian Hall. The rebuilt Xiaoling Hall of Worship occupies less than one-ninth of the original area and is less than one-third of the original height. The materials and carvings are so simple that they are not as good as those of ordinary ancestral halls. The glazed tiles that should be used in imperial mausoleums are not used. Other wooden buildings were rebuilt by our dynasty. The stone bridge deck and the building base are all original from the early Ming Dynasty. On March 15, 1912, Sun Yat-sen led government officials and generals to worship the Xiaoling Mausoleum of the Ming Dynasty. Because the underground palace and the tomb passage were directly excavated in the mountain rock, the tomb door intentionally deviated from the central axis and was dozens of meters underground. Historically, all forces respected and protected it. It is close to Nanjing City and has not been stolen. Now the Xiaoling Mausoleum of the Ming Dynasty has become part of the Ming and Qing Dynasty Imperial Mausoleums, a world cultural heritage in China. The ticket here is 70 yuan. There is an electric car at the entrance of the Ming Tower in Fangcheng, Xiaoling Mausoleum, leading to the scenic entrance of Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum and Meihua Mountain.

The stone warriors on the Xiaoling Mausoleum's sacred road. The Xiaoling Mausoleum's sacred road is also peculiar. It is not straight like the sacred roads of other imperial mausoleums, but turns a 90-degree bend. It is said that when the Xiaoling Mausoleum was built, Sun Quan's tomb was found in front of it. The original construction officials planned to dig it directly and reported it to Zhu Yuanzhang. Zhu Yuanzhang thought that Sun Quan was also a hero, and it would be bad to destroy his tomb directly. It would be better to let Sun Quan guard the door for him. So the Xiaoling Mausoleum's sacred road is like this today. It seems that the stone tablet with the inscription of Kangxi, which is as high as that of Tang and Song dynasties, can be said to be a high evaluation. Ming Tower, the colorful one on the upper floor was built later, and the original one was destroyed during the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom period. The following is the original monument.

Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum is located at the foot of Dulongfuwanzhu Peak on the southern foot of Zijin Mountain in Xuanwu District, Nanjing City. It is adjacent to Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in the east and Meihua Mountain in the south. It is located in Zhongshan Scenic Area. It is the joint burial mausoleum of Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang and his empress. Because the empress Ma was posthumously named "Empress Xiaoci Gao" and because she practiced filial piety to rule the world, it was named "Xiaoling Mausoleum". It covers an area of ​​more than 1.7 million square meters and is one of the largest imperial mausoleums in China.

The Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum is the royal tomb of Empress Ma and Zhu Yuanzhang, and it also contains the tombs of several princes of the Ming Dynasty. I originally thought that I could see the entrance of the tomb or something. Later I found that after walking for several hours, I only walked around the garden at the front of the tomb. When I arrived at the tomb mountain, I stopped. It is impossible to let people know the real location of the tomb.

I really like ancient sculptures. They are really cute and cute, but they are also exquisite.

I didn't take the Shenshou Road, but went directly to the Wengzhong Road to see the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum. I was very glad later because the Shenshou Road was the entrance to the Meiling Palace.

We came early, so there weren't many people. Later on, we couldn't take pictures at all, and there were only people left.

After the Monument of Divine Merit and Sacred Virtue, you will reach the Golden Gate. Passing through the Golden Gate, you will reach the most exciting part of the Xiaoling Mausoleum, the Shinto. For me, my favorite is the Xiaoling Shinto. The path in the middle of the Shinto is the central axis of the Xiaoling Mausoleum. Continue walking forward from the Red Building Art and Culture Garden and you will arrive at the Jinshui Bridge, behind which is the main building of the Xiaoling Mausoleum. The Hall of Worship looks much smaller and is out of place compared to the platform below. Climbing up the city tower, although the view is not as wide as that of the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum, the longer history is another flavor.

We arrived at the scenic spot at 7:30. There were few tourists except the elderly who got up early for morning exercise. I heard that no one collected tickets at 6:30 at the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, but I think the ticket price is still worth it, so I don't need to worry about it.

We entered from the main entrance of Gate No. 1 and found two roads, one on the left and one on the right. The right road had stone carvings of military generals, and the left had stone carvings of animals. We followed the sign for the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum and walked to the left. Later, we found that the Stone Elephant Road on the left was the sacred road we had been thinking about.

The air and sunshine, the red walls and green trees, it couldn't be better.

But after three hours, people here just followed the crowd.

In fact, the real entrance to the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum should be the Xiamafang Archway at the end of Shixiang Road. The recommended way is to buy a ticket and enter from Gate 3, which is the beginning of the sacred road and the only entrance to the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum in the Ming Dynasty.

The existing buildings of the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum were basically rebuilt in the Qing Dynasty or even in modern times. There is not much to see, and the buildings are obviously much smaller than the original platform. Climbing up the Ming Tower in front, you can see the small hill behind. This place called "Baoding" is where Zhu Yuanzhang and Empress Ma are buried. It is said that this underground palace has not been excavated yet, but archaeologists have found out through modern technology that this is a complete underground palace that has not been looted.

It is really strange that so many emperors' tombs that were buried with great effort have experienced countless lootings, but such a well-known place and such a high-profile tomb have been well preserved. Perhaps the wise and powerful Zhu Chongba had seen through all this.

It is said that the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum is free of charge before 6:30 every morning, because it provides a place for local people to relax and do morning exercises, but I still booked tickets online, and I can swipe my ID card. Here I want to remind everyone that the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum Scenic Area now has 7 entrances. I recommend the correct route. Experts say that the only "entrance" to the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum is the Xiamafang Archway (that is, Gate 5), and you can also go out from Gate 5 (that is, Sifangcheng). You can walk to the Meiling Palace and the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum. You can walk. The Meiling Palace is not far away, and you can reach the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum about 1 kilometer away. I always walk, and I think that road is also beautiful! There are also scenic battery cars. Going out of Gate 5 is the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum Museum, which is free. I recommend going to see it.

Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum is located at the foot of Dulongfuwanzhu Peak on the southern foot of Zijin Mountain, adjacent to Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in the east and Meihua Mountain in the south. It is the joint burial mausoleum of Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang and his empress. Because the empress Ma was posthumously named "Empress Xiaocigao" and because she practiced filial piety to rule the world, it was named "Xiaoling Mausoleum". It covers an area of ​​more than 1.7 million square meters and is one of the largest imperial mausoleums in China. Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum was built in the 14th year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty. It inherited the old system of "mountain-based mausoleums" of the Tang and Song emperors, and created a new system of square tombs as circular mounds. It harmoniously integrates humanity and nature, reaches the perfect height of harmony between man and nature, and becomes an excellent example of the combination of traditional Chinese architectural art culture and environmental aesthetics. Moreover, as the first of the Ming Dynasty imperial tombs in China, it represents the highest achievement of architecture and stone carving art in the early Ming Dynasty, and directly influenced the shapes of more than 20 imperial tombs in the Ming and Qing dynasties over a period of more than 500 years. The royal tombs of Ming and Qing dynasties distributed in Beijing, Hubei, Liaoning, Hebei and other places according to the course of history were all built according to the regulations and model of the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum in Nanjing. It has a special position in the history of the development of Chinese imperial tombs, and thus has the reputation of "the first royal tomb of Ming and Qing dynasties."

I have been to the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum three times, and each time I have a different feeling, probably because of the different seasons. It should be said that this is the most popular and famous imperial mausoleum of the Ming and Qing dynasties in the country, after all, the location is too good, and it is the closest to the city. But I have visited so many imperial mausoleums of the Ming and Qing dynasties across the country, and this one has the least authenticity, but it is understandable, after all, it is the furthest away from modern times, about 600 to 700 years, so there are actually not many things preserved.

Actually, the starting point of Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum should be Xiamafang. This is where I started my journey. Xiamafang Park has collected some stone cultural relics, most of which are related to Xiaoling Mausoleum. But because of this, there are no relics from here to Dajinmen. Dajinmen, in other places, is actually Dahongmen. There is a gate in the middle. I thought there was a fee here, but later I found out that it was not and it was not necessary. So Dajinmen Sifangcheng (Ming Xiaoling Dabeilou) is actually free. Sifangcheng is really spectacular. It is my favorite building among the current relics of Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum. In fact, it was originally beautiful without a roof, but it is indeed conducive to protection now.

Behind is the main road, which is also the purpose of most people to come, to see the Stone Elephant Road in autumn. I went there at the best time of the season. I found that the best part is the short section from the Stone Lion to the Stone Elephant, which accounts for about two-thirds of the Stone Elephant Road and one-third of the whole road. But it is really not worth spending 70 yuan for this short section.

The content of the sacred road is the same as that of the Ming Tombs and the East and West Tombs of the Qing Dynasty, but it is less domineering and more reserved, which is too commercial. The Dragon and Phoenix Gate was rebuilt later. As for the main part of the mausoleum, it is not well preserved. The main hall has been destroyed for a long time. I think the stele hall (Zhilong Tang and Song Dynasties) and a small hall built later are a big spoiler, but they are also relics of history after all. Moreover, as an early mausoleum, unlike the later imperial mausoleums, which all have two pillars, doors, stones and five offerings, there is actually no fixed standard. The only original objects of the Ming Dynasty are the base of the main hall and the base of the Ming Tower. I can only sigh that history is fickle and too much has been destroyed. However, the tunnel of the Ming Tower is not bad, giving people a sense of time travel.

In addition to the main body of Xiaoling Mausoleum, this ticket also includes Sun Quan's Tomb, Red Mansion Art and Literature Garden, Yan Zhenqing Stele Forest. The three I mentioned above are very bad and boring. As for the Eastern Ming Tombs, I went to see it this time, and it was only the foundation (the base of the platform and the column base), which is not worth going. Only Zixia Lake is pretty good to see. So this 70 ticket is actually quite cheap! Considering that the scenery here is really beautiful in autumn, I reluctantly give it four stars.

I'd also like to mention the tombs of Ming heroes that few people visit. In fact, they are in the same system as the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum and are both world heritage sites, but they have received very little attention. But it's really not easy to get to. Especially the tombs of Chang Yuchun, Wu Liang, Wu Zhen, and Qiu Cheng are in the mountains, and it's hard to get there without exercise. The tombs of Xu Da and Li Wenzhong can be reached on the road. Li Wenzhong's tomb is not open yet, and it is the best-preserved tomb of Ming heroes. As for Xu Da's tomb, it's well preserved, with a stone tablet with the most inscriptions, and it's also the only stone tablet with punctuation in ancient times, so I think it's still worth a visit and it's still open.

The journey to the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum is breathtakingly beautiful. From the moment you enter the mountain, all that comes into view is the endless green shade of ancient trees.

Tickets: Adult tickets are 70 yuan, which can be booked in advance online (there are tickets for single attractions and package tickets for other attractions in Zhongshan Scenic Area), which can save a little.

Suggestions: The entire Zhongshan Scenic Area is very large, and the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum Scenic Area is only a small part of it. You can visit other scenic spots while visiting the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, such as the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum, the Botanical Garden, etc. There are many entrances to the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, and we randomly chose a small door to enter. We walked for a while and didn't see any buildings, but the scenery on the roadside made people feel as if they were in the forest.

The signposts at the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum are really poorly made. There are few of them and little information is marked on them. They do not tell tourists the distance to the next attraction. So we just walked aimlessly. Fortunately, the natural scenery is beautiful enough and it is a pleasure to stroll among them.

The scenic area has a voice guide rental, which is very good. It is much cheaper than a tour guide. I rented a machine to enter the scenic area. The machine rental point of Ming Xiaoling is at the entrance of Ming Xiaoling, with a very obvious sign. I just need to return it to the rental point after use. It is recommended to walk along the central axis when entering and take the auxiliary roads on both sides when leaving, so that you can visit the whole area. In addition, the voice guide will remind you which route to take.

🌈Highlights: Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum is the joint burial mausoleum of Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and his empress Ma. It was built in 1381 and took 25 years to complete. As one of the largest and best-preserved imperial mausoleums in China, Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum was listed on the World Heritage List in 2003.



About the line:

🚇Metro Line 2🚶‍♂️—Gate 3🚶‍♂️—Zixia Lake🚶🏻‍♀️—Baoding🚶‍♂️—Jinshui Bridge🚶‍♂️—Wenwufangmen🚪🚶‍♂️—Paidian🚶‍♂️—Xiaoling Hall🚶🏻‍♀️—Bozhong Road🚶🏻‍♀️—Shixiang Road🚶🏻‍♀️—Meihua Mountain🚶🏻‍♀️—Yanque Lake (Gate 3)🚶🏻‍♀️—Others



1. The sacred road (Shixiang Road and Wengzhong Road)

🐘Shixiang Road: Known as "the most beautiful 600 meters in Nanjing", the front half of the sacred road is lined with 12 pairs of stone animals on both sides, including lions, xiezhi, camels, elephants, unicorns and horses. Each animal has two kneeling and two standing, symbolizing the majesty of the emperor and the protection of the tomb against evil spirits.

🗿Weng Zhong Road: In the second half of the sacred road, there are 4 pairs of stone statues of civil and military officials and meritorious officials (called "Weng Zhong"), which are solemn and dignified, reflecting the etiquette system of the royal mausoleum.



2. Mausoleum Palace

⛩️Wenwu Square Gate: The main gate of the mausoleum area, originally there were five gates, but now there is only one gate, with a bluestone door lintel inscribed with "Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum", showing the royal architectural style of the Ming Dynasty.

🕋Stele Hall: Inside is a stele with the words "治超唐宋" written by Emperor Kangxi, praising Zhu Yuanzhang's achievements. There is also a stele with poems by Emperor Qianlong recording his southern tour and visits.

🏛️Xiang Hall (Xiaoling Hall): Originally the main hall for holding sacrificial ceremonies, it now has a three-story stone pedestal and 56 column bases. It is large in scale, and one can imagine the grand occasion of the past.

🏰Fangcheng Minglou: The landmark building of the mausoleum, Fangcheng is 16 meters high. The Minglou was originally a double-eaved hip roof building, with existing walls. You can overlook the panoramic view from the top of the building.

🛖Baoding: A circular earthen mound with a diameter of about 400 meters. Below it is the underground palace of Zhu Yuanzhang and Queen Ma. It has not been excavated by archaeologists and retains its mysterious color.



3. Affiliated attractions

🌸Plum Blossom Mountain: Located on the east side of the Shinto Road, it is known as the "No. 1 Plum Blossom Mountain in the World". It has more than 30,000 plum trees planted. In spring, the flowers are like clouds. The ruins of Sun Quan's Tomb on the top of the mountain add a sense of historical weight.

🌊Zixia Lake: An artificial lake with clear water and quiet trees around it, suitable for a leisurely stroll.

🐴Xia Ma Fang Ruins: The entrance sign of the mausoleum area is engraved with "Officials of various departments dismount", showing respect for the mausoleum.



🚗Address and Transportation:

Subway Line 3 Muxuyuan Station



🎫Ticket Information:

70 yuan/person



✨Tips: Free admission before 7:00 am, take the first subway.

In spring, you can go to Meihua Mountain to enjoy the flowers, and in mid-December, you can go to Yanque Lake to enjoy the redwood forest.



📸After entering the park through Gate 3, go directly to Zixia Lake before sunrise. After the sun comes out, check in at Liuguang Avenue in front of Fangcheng Minglou at golden hour to take photos. Then, check in at Dingdaerguang on Shixiang Road and Wengzhong Road at around 9:30. At 10 o'clock, rush to Yanque Lake (near Gate 3) to take photos of redwood trees. If you still have energy, go to other attractions.

The scenery is nice. Zhongshan Scenic Area has several scenic spots connected together. You need to walk around for at least a day to see all of them. The air is good. You can also meet many cats. Each cat is chubby, and some are very affectionate. You can buy a combined ticket on Meituan one day in advance, which will save 6 yuan. It depends on your needs. The music station is not recommended anyway, hahaha. The scenery on the road is also very beautiful. It is really super big inside. If you can't walk, you can find a tour bus to the next place, but you don't need to buy wireless times unless you really don't want to walk.

Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum is the main attraction of Zhongshan Scenic Area. There are seven entrances, and Gate 5 is the closest to the sacred road. After entering, you will see the starting point of the famous sacred road "Shixiang Road". There is also a cherry blossom garden nearby. There are two sections of sacred roads here. The Shixiang Road, known as the "most beautiful 600 meters" in Nanjing, is 615 meters long, with 12 pairs of stone beasts on both sides. At the end of the Shixiang Road, there is another 200-meter Wengzhong Road, with human statues on both sides. After walking along the sacred road, you will reach the main building of the mausoleum. The entire mausoleum is built with the Wenwu Square Gate, the Stele Hall, the Xiang Hall, the Inner Red Gate, the Shengxian Bridge, the Ming Tower and the Baoding at the end. As the first of the Ming Dynasty imperial mausoleums in China, Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum represents the highest achievement of architecture and stone carving art in the early Ming Dynasty. It directly influenced the structure of more than 20 imperial mausoleums in the Ming and Qing dynasties for more than 500 years. The royal mausoleums of Ming and Qing dynasties distributed in Beijing, Hubei, Liaoning, Hebei and other places in the course of history were all built according to the regulations and model of Nanjing Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum. It has a special status in the history of the development of Chinese imperial mausoleums, so it has the reputation of "the first royal mausoleum of Ming and Qing dynasties". Because the mausoleum has not yet been developed, we can only stop at the Ming Tower.

Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum is located at the foot of Dulongfuwanzhu Peak on the southern foot of Zijin Mountain in Xuanwu District, Nanjing City. It is adjacent to Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in the east and Meihua Mountain in the south. It is part of Zhongshan Scenic Area and is the joint burial mausoleum of Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang and his empress. Because the empress Ma was posthumously named Empress Xiaocigao and because she practiced filial piety to rule the world, it was named Xiaoling Mausoleum. It covers an area of ​​more than 1.7 million square meters and is one of the largest imperial mausoleums in China.

The tomb of Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty. After Zhu Di, the Yongle Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, moved the capital to Beijing, the remaining 13 emperors of the Ming Dynasty were buried in the Ming Tombs in Beijing. The general regulations of the imperial tombs: memorial archways, dismounting archways, monuments of divine merit and virtue, sacred roads, etc. The historical culture of the imperial tombs can be experienced in person, and the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum is very representative. The Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum is in the Zhongshan Scenic Area, and you can visit the surrounding small attractions together. The Sun Quan Memorial Hall impressed me the most.

Zhu Yuanzhang, the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty, was also known as Guorui. His original name was Chongba, and he later changed his name to Xingzong. He once became a monk and was the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty. This legendary emperor founded the Ming Dynasty and made Nanjing his capital. He was also buried in Nanjing after his death. The Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum is the joint burial mausoleum of Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and his empress Ma. Because the empress was posthumously named "Xiaoci", it was named Xiaoling Mausoleum. As the first of the Ming mausoleums in China, the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum is magnificent and represents the highest achievement of architecture and stone carving art in the early Ming Dynasty. It directly influenced the form of the imperial mausoleums of the Ming and Qing dynasties for more than 500 years. The imperial mausoleums of the Ming and Qing dynasties distributed in Beijing, Hubei, Liaoning, Hebei and other places in the course of history were all built according to the regulations and model of the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum in Nanjing. It has a special status in the history of the development of imperial mausoleums in China, so it has the reputation of "the first royal mausoleum of the Ming and Qing dynasties". Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum is located at the foot of Dulongfuwanzhu Peak on the southern foot of Purple Mountain in Nanjing, adjacent to Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in the east and Meihua Mountain in the south. It is the largest imperial mausoleum in Nanjing and one of the largest imperial mausoleums in ancient China. In 2003, the 27th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee decided on July 3, 2003 to select Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum as a World Cultural Heritage.

The Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum was first built in the 14th year of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty (1381). The following year, Empress Ma died and was buried in this mausoleum in September, which was named "Xiaoling". The name of Xiaoling Mausoleum is derived from the word "Xiao" in the posthumous title, which means "ruling the world with filial piety". One theory is that Empress Ma was given the posthumous title "Xiaoci", hence the name. In the 31st year of the Hongwu reign (1398), Zhu Yuanzhang died of illness and the underground palace was used to bury him with Empress Ma. In the 11th year of the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty (1413), the "Stele of Divine Merit and Sacred Virtue of the Xiaoling Mausoleum of the Great Ming Dynasty" was completed. The entire Xiaoling Mausoleum was built, which took more than 30 years. It is large in scale and magnificent in architecture. The shape is enhanced by referring to the mausoleums of the Tang and Song dynasties. When it was built, the halls of worship within the walls were majestic and the pavilions were magnificent. Half of the 70 temples in the Southern Dynasties were enclosed in the forbidden garden. At that time, the imperial wall built from Chaoyang Gate (now Zhongshan Gate) to Xiaoling Guard to the northwest of the mausoleum was 45 li long, and there were more than 5,000 soldiers stationed to protect the mausoleum. At that time, the mausoleum was connected with pavilions, the hall of worship was filled with smoke, and there were pine trees and forests, and thousands of immortal deer were raised. The deer were calling, and the momentum was extraordinary. The Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum is located in a beautiful environment with ups and downs around it, surrounded by mountains and water, and the humanities and natural landscapes are naturally formed. The mausoleum is large in scale and rigorous in structure. The Xiaoling Mausoleum building is 2.62 kilometers deep from the Xiamafang to the Baocheng. The main building of the mausoleum was surrounded by a red wall with a circumference of 2.25 kilometers. The Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum has experienced more than 600 years of vicissitudes. The wooden structures of many buildings no longer exist, but the structure of the mausoleum still retains its original grandeur, and the underground tomb palace is intact. The main buildings and stone carvings in the mausoleum area include Fangcheng, Minglou, Baocheng, Baoding, including Xiamafang, Dajinmen, Shengong Shengde Stele, Shendao, Shixiang Road Stone Carvings, etc., are all Ming Dynasty architectural relics, maintaining the authenticity of the original mausoleum The authenticity of the original building and the integrity of the spatial layout.

The buildings in the mausoleum area are roughly divided into two parts: the first group is the sacred way, starting from the Xiamafang to the main gate of the Xiaoling Mausoleum; the second group is the main part, from the main gate to Baocheng, Minglou and Chongqiu.

Xiaoling Mausoleum is located in the southwest of Zhongshan Scenic Area and is the mausoleum of Zhu Yuanzhang and Empress Ma. This mausoleum is one of the largest imperial mausoleums, and many places still retain the original objects from the Ming Dynasty, with many attractions.

The Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum Divine Merit and Sacred Virtue Stele Pavilion is located in the front of the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum area in Xuanwu District, Nanjing. Commonly known as the Sifang City, it is the first main building behind the main gate of the mausoleum area and the largest example of the same type of building in the royal mausoleums of Ming and Qing dynasties.

The Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum Divine Merit and Sacred Virtue Stele Pavilion was built in the 11th year of the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty (1413). It has a square plan with an arch door on each of the four sides and is covered with a double-eaved hip roof with yellow glazed tiles. It houses the "Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum Divine Merit and Sacred Virtue Stele" erected by Emperor Chengzu Zhu Di for his father Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang. The stele is 8.78 meters high.

The Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum Divine Merit and Sacred Virtue Stele Pavilion and the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum have now been listed as national key cultural relics protection sites. In July 2003, the Ming and Qing royal mausoleums - Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum was listed as a world cultural heritage as a national 5A-level tourist attraction based on the world cultural heritage selection standards.

Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum is located at the foot of Dulongfuwanzhu Peak on the southern foot of Zijin Mountain in Xuanwu District, Nanjing City. It is adjacent to Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in the east and Meihua Mountain in the south. It is located in Zhongshan Scenic Area. It is the joint burial mausoleum of Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang and his empress. Because the empress Ma was posthumously named "Empress Xiaocigao" and because she practiced filial piety to rule the world, it was named "Xiaoling Mausoleum".



As the first of the Ming emperors' tombs in China, the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum represents the highest achievement of architecture and stone carving art in the early Ming Dynasty, and directly influenced the layout of more than 20 imperial tombs over a period of more than 500 years during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

This attraction is really a rip-off. You can only see the Shinto and other things. It takes a long time to walk into the main hall. There is actually nothing inside. It is already very dilapidated. It is actually a super large park. The ticket price of 70 is too much. It is better to visit Dingling in Beijing, at least there is an underground palace to see, and there is a museum where you can see the cultural relics unearthed from Dingling.

The Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum was built more than 600 years ago and took more than 30 years to build. It is one of the largest existing ancient imperial mausoleums. Its mausoleum system not only inherited the system of "building mausoleums on mountains" of the Tang and Song dynasties and before, but also created the basic pattern of "front and back round" mausoleum architecture by changing square tombs to circular mounds. Its construction regulations have always regulated the architectural pattern of more than 20 imperial mausoleums in the Ming and Qing dynasties for more than 500 years, and it has a special position in the history of the development of Chinese imperial mausoleums. Therefore, the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum can be called the first royal mausoleum of the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum is located at the foot of Zhongshan Mountain. It is the mausoleum of Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty. It has beautiful natural scenery and is a must-visit place in Nanjing.

The underground palace is said to be well preserved, but I didn't go in.

The Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum is too big. It is full of the emperor's display of luxury and nobility.

Actually, we didn't do much fun as we had too little time. We just wandered around Shixiang Road. The scenery is nice in early autumn, but it is said that there are a lot of people in late autumn.

One of the most famous scenic spots in Nanjing, you must go

Sometimes you really have to take a good walk here and climb to the top of the city wall to see a different world.

As an imperial mausoleum it is quite majestic, after all, he is the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty.

The feeling of visiting Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum is different in different seasons.

If you don't like the history of the Ming Dynasty, you'd better not go there. Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, Ming Dongling Mausoleum, Mingshendao, and the Memorial Hall of Sun Quan, the Emperor of Eastern Wu.

I've been there twice, the stone statues are very unique! !

Shinto is very interesting and the scenery inside is also very good

Part of the World Cultural Heritage - the royal mausoleums of Ming and Qing dynasties, the tomb of Zhu Yuanzhang, the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty.

Red walls, green tiles, and Shinto are all here. This place is not only beautiful in autumn, but also has something special to see in this season. There are many people on weekends, but it may be more charming if there are fewer people on weekdays.

I went there many years ago and don't have a deep impression of it, but the stone statues on the Shenlu are still very exciting.

Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum in Autumn



The most beautiful time of the year

After decades of greening and maintenance, the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum has become more beautiful, especially the rows of ginkgo trees, which have become a place for tourists to enjoy the autumn.

The stone statue road is very long and takes about 20 minutes to walk. To reach the city wall, you need to pass through a stone road to pass through the city wall to the highest point. After climbing the city wall, there is an exhibition hall of Ming Dynasty history, but it is relatively simple and there is little light at night.

The entire Xiaoling Mausoleum still shows some signs of damage, but it is still very charming.

The Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum is really huge, so be sure to wear comfortable shoes and plan your time accordingly.

This is my second time to visit the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum. The first time was in 2010. I came here after watching the TV series “Things About the Ming Dynasty”. This year I went there just to relive the feeling of that year.

The weather was so bad. Nanjing was gloomy that day, and the sun started to come out at noon, making the whole Xiaoling Mausoleum look particularly sad.

It's too hot to go there in summer, so it's better to go there in spring or autumn.

As the opening work of the Ming and Qing imperial tombs, the later imperial tombs basically continued the layout of the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum. The existing buildings are seriously damaged, but the stone statues on the mausoleum path are still intact and magnificent. The site selection also pays great attention to feng shui. In front of the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum is Meihua Mountain, which is the tomb of Sun Quan, and next to it is the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum. Zhongshan is a mountain where three founding fathers are buried.

What impressed me most was that I carefully studied the reign titles and temple names of dozens of other Ming Dynasty emperors, because Mrs. Mengxi Shi's work "The Fourteenth Year of Chenghua" aroused my interest in the meaning of the temple names given to the previous emperors by later generations. Wen, Wu, Ren, Xiao, Ying, and Xuan each have different profound meanings.

There is also a Plum Blossom Mountain in the Ming Xiaoling Scenic Area. The whole mountain is covered with gorgeous plum blossoms. However, at the end of April, the whole mountain is covered with unripe plums. At first glance, you will feel like you are quenching your thirst by looking at the plum blossoms.

The boy comes riding on his bamboo horse, playing with green plums around the bed. He has green plums, but where is the bamboo horse?

The ecological environment is really good, and I saw different birds.

Although it is a mausoleum, it is much better than Dingling in Beijing. It is not a mausoleum in the full sense. This is what I personally think~

After entering, you will reach the Stone Statue Road. Go west along the Stone Statue Road to the Shinto Observatory, and go north through the Lingxing Gate to the Jinshui Bridge. To the north of the Jinshui Bridge is the Ming Xiaoling Palace. Climb up the Ming Tower and you can look south for a beautiful view. We visited the scenic area for more than three hours, but I personally feel that the tour time is about two hours. Although the scenic area is large, there are not many attractions worth visiting. Although the autumn scenery of other attractions in the scenic area is also good, it is too ordinary, and there is no difference from the scenery of the park around us.

Located in Zhongshan Scenic Area, it is the tomb of Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang and his empress. Because the empress Ma was posthumously named "Empress Xiaocigao" and because she practiced filial piety to rule the world, it was named "Xiaoling". The scenery is nice and you can also learn about the history of the Ming Dynasty.

Since Zhu Yuanzhang and Sun Quan are both historical figures that I am interested in, I visited the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum when I came to Nanjing.

Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum is the joint burial mausoleum of Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang and Empress Ma of the Ming Dynasty. It is located at the foot of Mount Everest in Dulongfu, Purple Mountain, Nanjing. I took the Metro Line 2 to Exit 1 of Alfalfa Garden Station and followed the signs to the Tourist Service Center. Purple Mountain has Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum and Zhongshan Scenic Area. Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum is free to visit, but you need to buy a round-trip electric car ticket. You can choose to enter Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum from Meihua Valley Park, which is closer to Alfalfa Garden Station, about 400 meters away, and does not require electric car transportation fees. It is suitable for tourists with plenty of time.

Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum is the mausoleum of Zhu Yuanzhang and Empress Ma. Most people have the impression that Zhu Yuanzhang is irritable and harsh, but his love with Empress Ma is worthy of praise. After 600 years of vicissitudes, the wooden structure of the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum building no longer exists, but the layout of the mausoleum still retains its original grand style. The underground tomb palace is intact, and no tomb robbery has succeeded, which also makes Zhu Yuanzhang and Empress Ma live together in their lifetime and after death, which makes people feel very beautiful. But compared with the mausoleum part, the Shinto is more fascinating. In late autumn, the forest is full of colors, and it feels like every frame is a blockbuster, but I came. It was still mid-October, and the maple leaves were not yet red. The beech trees, mountain peppers, and some colorful leaf trees that I couldn't name all showed their charm. The layers of red, yellow, orange, purple, and green intertwined to form a rich and colorful oil painting, but it was a gray and cloudy day, so the photos taken were slightly dim.

October is autumn season, the leaves are beginning to show some color, and it will be more beautiful in late autumn after a while.

Dingling Mausoleum in Beijing's Ming Tombs is now mostly empty caves and burnt palace ruins. However, Xiaoling Mausoleum is more famous as the mausoleum of Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, but it is well preserved. Why?

Later I learned that the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum had also been robbed, but unsuccessfully.

The Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum is well preserved due to special anti-theft measures, historical opportunities and geographical location.

However, due to the archaeological tragedy of Dingling, the underground palace of Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum has not been excavated yet and is not open to the public.

The immortals and animals on the eaves are still clearly visible after hundreds of years of baptism. The most famous thing about the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum is the 18 pairs of stone statues on the sacred road that have withstood the wind and rain for more than 600 years. All the stone statues are carved from a single piece of stone.

The Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum has not been excavated yet and is said to be well preserved. From a visitor's perspective, there is not much to see.

The garden is full of red walls and green tiles, and is shady with trees, which is very beautiful.

The sweet osmanthus flowers are in full bloom in October. The air is filled with the fragrance of sweet osmanthus and the road is also golden.

The ticket was 70 yuan, which was very expensive. I was very disappointed after entering. The mausoleum had been robbed by tomb robbers a long time ago, and the things left were placed in the free museum. The only thing worth gratifying in Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum was the several hundred meters long Shinto Road, which was majestic and solemn. There were stone statues of six kinds of mythical beasts, including horses, elephants, camels, unicorns, lions and Xiezhi (XieZhi), four of each, facing each other, guarding on both sides of the Shinto Road like guards, two standing and two squatting, which may mean taking turns to stand guard. The Shinto Road is winding and narrow for more than 200 meters. Turning right is the stone statues of military and civil generals, also four each, but all standing, about 100 meters. After crossing the Shinto Road and walking another 200 meters, you will reach Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, which is empty.

The Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum is brightly colored, and the path leading up to it is particularly fresh and clean.

The mausoleum covers a vast area. The general route starts from Xiamafang, passes the Forbidden Agreement Monument, Shenlieshan Monument, Dajinmen, Shengong Shengde Monument Pavilion, Yuhe Bridge, Stone Elephant, Stone Watch Pillar, Stone Wengzhong to Lingxing Gate, which is the guiding part of the Xiaoling Mausoleum. After passing Lingxing Gate and turning northeast, you can enter the main building of the mausoleum, which includes Jinshui Bridge, Wenwu Square Gate, Xiaoling Gate, Xiaoling Hall, Inner Red Gate, Fangcheng Minglou, and finally Baocheng.

The route we took was from the Stone Elephant Sacred Road, passing the Tomb of Sun Quan, over Plum Blossom Hill, and also to the Jinshui Bridge, passing the Fangmen, the special signboard, the Inner Red Gate, the Fangcheng Ming Tower, and finally to the Tomb of Emperor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty.

There are 12 pairs of 6 kinds of stone animals on Shixiang Road, which are: lion, Xie, camel, elephant, unicorn, horse, 4 of each kind, two standing and two lying. At the end of the stone animals, there is a pair of stone pillars (also known as Huabiao).

The Great Golden Gate is the entrance to the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum. On the wooden bridge at the entrance, you can quietly enjoy the plane trees along the entire avenue, which is so beautiful that it is beyond words. The Shinto Road is not a traditional straight line, but a winding road that follows the shape of the mountain. On both sides of the front section of the Shinto Road are kneeling stone statues of mythical beasts, and on the back section are two pairs of civil officials and two pairs of military officials.

This place is really big. I entered from Gate 3 and walked all the way up. Since it was not the weekend, there were not many people. At first, I couldn't see the palace. I wondered if I was in the wrong place. Later, I walked forward slowly and saw the palace. The environment here is very good, the air is very fresh, and there are many flowers in this season. You can smell the fragrance of flowers all the way in. There are portraits of Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang and many small attractions. I forgot the specific names, but when you come to Nanjing, you must go to Ming Xiaoling.

There is nothing to see in Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum. Zhu Yuanzhang's tomb has not been opened yet. Only the buildings on the ground can be visited. There are obviously fewer people in Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum than in Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum. I didn't meet any tour groups, so I didn't know what to see inside without any explanation! However, the mythical beasts guarding the tomb outside are really cute. Not only are there mythical beasts, but there are also four civil officials and four military officials. They are all cute and not serious at all.

A lot, but luckily we were prepared. It's National Day, so where can there be few people? ! Warm reminder, friends who go to Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum must wear a pair of comfortable sneakers, because walking will hurt. Interested friends should remember to rent an audio guide when entering the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum scenic area!

I went there during the National Day holiday! There were so many people! It was so crowded! Don't go during holidays! Just to see the people! I walked a long way and felt very tired! But the scenery inside is very beautiful. It is still worth seeing. I bought a package ticket for 100 yuan, but time was tight and I didn't see the whole thing!

We walked for a long time, and many people were explaining things in their language. It's a blessing to walk around and see history slowly, and it popularizes cultural knowledge.

Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum is located in Nanjing Zhongshan Scenic Area. If you also want to visit Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum, you can arrange a day to visit it together. The Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum scenic area is not very large. After checking the ticket at the gate, you will enter the Golden Gate.

Walk along the stone road and you will reach the Divine Road, then continue to the mausoleum gate, then the Stele Hall, the Xiaoling Hall, and then the Ming Tower and the Baoding.

I have always wanted to see this mausoleum in Nanjing. After coming here, I was shocked by the exquisite architecture of this earliest mausoleum.

I was deeply impressed by the architecture of the Divine Road, the majesty of the Ming Tower, and the historical weight of the Baoding. This was the strongest feeling I had when I visited all the Qing Dynasty royal mausoleums. From a historical perspective, the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum of Emperor Gaozu Zhu Yuanzhang is also the oldest mausoleum. This gate is relatively small compared to other mausoleums, and it should be deliberately designed to highlight the grandeur of the square city.

There is a sky bridge from Meiling Palace to Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum. There are towering green trees on both sides, which looks very cool! The magnificent pattern is preserved here. I came to see it in the evening before closing time. There was a weird and gloomy atmosphere everywhere, which was also a new experience.

It is so beautiful that there is nothing to say. It is worth coming again in autumn.

On both sides of the Shinto Road are ginkgo and maple leaves, which can cool down in summer and enjoy the red and yellow leaves in autumn. There are many similar animals on the Shinto Road. The first thing to do in the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum is to pass through the passage guarded by the twelve mythical beasts, which are super cute.

Behind the city tower is the tomb where Zhu Yuanzhang was buried. Ruins destroyed by war can be seen everywhere in the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, but the underground palace where Zhu Yuanzhang and Empress Ma were buried has been preserved intact. What it looks like under the tomb and how many rare treasures are buried under it is up to you to imagine.

The long sacred road is actually quite nice, but I personally don’t like the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum very much. I think the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum excavated from the underground palace is the real Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum. The Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum with only the palace on the ground is not worth the ticket price. That’s all.

There are a lot of comments, just post the pictures! If you like history, it's worth it

The Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum is very large, including many famous attractions, and the environment inside is very good. Because it is on the mountain, the flow of people is not particularly large, which is very suitable for tourism.