Nanjing 南京市 - Jiangsu Province 江 苏 省 简 介 - The Ming Tomb (Mingxiao Ling) 明孝陵

Located at the southern foot of Mount Zijin in the eastern suburb of Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu Province, is the burial site of Zhu Yuanzhang (1328-1398; reigned 1368-1398)—the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty. It has been not only a national cultural relics preservation unit since 1961 but an architectural masterpiece that represents the paramount craftsmanship of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). With an area of 3 square kilometers, Xiaoling Mausoleum is within the boundaries of a national park containing Dr Sun Yat-sen’s Mausoleum. The park encompasses 31 square kilometers. Construction of the mausoleum started in 1381 and was completed in 1413, taking more than 30 years to finish. From the Xiama (Dismount Horse) Archway下马坊, the entrance of the mausoleum, to Treasure City宝城, where the Underground Palace lies, Xiaoling Mausoleum extends about 3,000 meters in length. All constitute a large area of tomb relic culture with great historical significance. The buildings and stone carvings in the tomb area include the Big Golden Gate 大金门, the Outer Imperial River, stone sculptures, stone sacrificial columns神道石像生群,the Lattice Gate棂星门 , the Inner Imperial River, the Golden Water Bridge金水桥 , the Tomb Palace Gate陵宫门 , the Sacrificial Palace享殿 , the Imperial Kitchen御厨 , and the Plot of the Side Halls两侧的配殿. Authenticity of the original buildings and the integrity of the layout have been well maintained. The stone sculptures along the Sacred Way of Xiaoling Mausoleum are solemn and extremely lifelike. The meaning of these stone animals and human statues are孝陵神道两旁石人石兽的含意： Lion狮子, the symbol of power威武的象征 ; Xiezhi獬豸 , the symbol of justice公正的象征 ; camel骆驼 , the symbol of transportation 象征运输之意; elephant象, symbolizing auspices and peace吉祥和太平的象征; Qilin麒麟,presenting peace and auspices, and warding off evil spirits吉祥太平之兽，能驱邪; fine horse (steed) 骏马, standing for expedition象征征战之意; military officers武臣, representing imperial bodyguard generals象征侍卫将军; civil officials文臣, standing for emperor’s close ministers象征近身文官; ministers of merit勋臣, symbolizing meritorious civil and military officials象征有功勋的文武百官.They represent the supreme artwork of stone-cutting in the early Ming Dynasty. The imposing buildings on the ground embody the greatest achievements in architecture during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The buildings are in accordance with the natural environment, both of which interact to reach harmony. Xiaoling Mausoleum embodies the ancient Chinese philosophic thinking of “unity of humans and the universe.” The mausoleum inherited the advantages of the systems of imperial mausoleums of the Han (206 BC-AD 220), Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties, while creating a new system of its own. The system developed during the construction of Xiaoling became the general structure of mausoleum architecture for more than 500 years. As a result, Xiaoling Mausoleum has been the leading mausoleum system in the Ming and Qing dynasties, possessing a fabulous and cherished position in the development of Chinese imperial mausoleum. On July 3, 2003, Xiaoling Mausoleum was inscribed on the list of World Heritage by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

Heritage is the identity of a nation and the value of a society. We must preserve it for future generations. 遗产是一个国家的身份，是社会的价值，我们必须为子孙后代保护好它。

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