Special Features of Ming Tombs
As compared to the imperial toms of other dynasties, the Ming 13 tombs stand out for the following eye-catching features:
Firstly, the vast tombs zone constitutes a harmonious whole. The Warring State Period is the infancy of ancient Chinese imperial tomb. The layout was derived from the patriarchal clan system and subject to the ranks of the buried. Each imperial tomb varies in layout and size among others, depending on their specific social environment and the particular age they belong to.
In the Tang and North Song Dynasties, for instance, each tomb has its individual gate, sacred way and stone sculptures. Put it another way, even though they were built in within a same zone, each tomb is an independent from others architecturally speaking. The Ming Tomb is another case. Each has its own hall, Soul Tower, City of Treasures, and forms an individual unit, but the sacred Way, marble archway, and stone statues of Chang Ling, the first tomb among the 13, were shared by all tombs. All the tombs were scatters on both sides of the Sacred Way, thus being closely linked together as an organic whole.
Secondly, the tombs architecture above the ground is unique. In the ancient China from the dynasties of Qin and Han to Tang, the architecture of the imperial tombs above the ground all took the tomb mound as their center. In front of the tomb mound there stood the sacrificial hall, and the whole tomb zone was enclosed by wall with a gate at each of the four directions. The whole tomb zone thus resembles a huge rectangular siheyuan. Since the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, the first Ming emperor Zhu Yuanzhang changed the old layout and introduced some change in his own tomb. The front wall of the tomb zone remained unchanged and the rear portion of the wall became a semi-circle. The soul tower and the sacrificial hall were built on the central axis of the tomb zone. And the old straight sacred way became crooked.
The Ming 13 Tombs in Beijing basically followed the model of the Xiao Ling (the tomb for the first Ming Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang in Nanjing) and there were only some slight different. For instance, the setting of the gravestone inside the soul tower emphasized its function as a landmark for the whole tomb zone.
Along the sacred way of Chang Ling, there goes the Zhaoyu gate, the Pavilion for the Stele of the Sacred Imperial Prowess, the huge stone sculptures, and the gate of Dragon and Phoenix etc., which is the old layout of Xiao Ling. However, the addition of the stone archway before the Zhapyu gate and the addition of the statues of the official who had rendered outstanding service to the sculptures were new. The Ming tomb cells are also different from others. In the Tang Dynasty, the imperial tomb cell was dug inside a mountain while the Ming tombs were palatial underground palaces decorated with enamel structures.
Thirdly, the natural environment around the Ming Tombs is tranquil, beautiful, and spectacular. Selecting the location of an ancient Chinese imperial tomb was always affected by Fengshui. The Ming Tomb was not an exception. A famous Fengshui wizard called Liao Junqing from Jiangxi Province helped the Ming emperor to decide the place to build the tombs. Liao Junqing’s method prevailed in Jiangxi, which stressed the interaction and match between the dragon, the tomb cell, stone and the water. The mountain where the tombs were built was renamed Tianshou (literally means heavenly longevity) by the Ming emperor. The winding Tianshou Mountain ridges linked to each other create a horseshoe shape opening to the south. The first of the 13 Ming tombs was built at the foot of this mountain. All the other Ming tombs all have a high mountain behind as a backing and a brook snake in the front. On either side of these tombs, there are mountains as well. The special environment of the Ming tomb is obviously more beautiful than those imperial tombs built on vast plain.
The Beijing municipal government has invested 170 million RMB Yuan on the preservation of the Ming Tombs. According to the vice-director Mr. Nie Youyi of the Ming Tomb Administration Office, the refurbishment project of De Ling with an investment of 38 million RMB Yuan is drawing to its end. From this year, the restoration of the Kang Ling and Qing Ling will be launched soon. As estimated that by 2008 about 400 million RMB Yuan will be invested to repair 7 most endangered among the 13 Ming tombs.
Most of the 13 tombs were preserved as their original look. Take the soul tower as an example, only the soul tower of Si Ling was destroyed before the founding of the P. R. China in 1949 and the soul tower of Zhao Ling was rebuilt in 1956, the rest still stand there. Among the 13 only Ding Ling was excavated in 1956, all the unearthed are now under strict protection.
Each of the tombs has a sacred way in the front. Along the sacred way of Chang Ling stand an imposing stone archway, the Big Red Gate, the Pavilion of the Stele of the Sacred Imperial Prowess, dozens of stone sculptures and the Gate of Dragon and Phoenix. The Big Red Gate, the Pavilion of the Stele of the Sacred Imperial Prowess, and the Gate of Dragon and Phoenix underwent restoration after the founding the P. R. China while the rest remain unchanged. As for the sacred way for other tombs, most of the Pavilions of the Stele of the Sacred Imperial Prowess were brought down during the Qing Dynasty and only the fragments of some steles and stone bridges remain until today. Most of the cypress and pines trees along the sacred ways were also felled down during Qing. Many of the annexes such as the Shenggongjian, or the Sacred Palace Office had become a village in the Qing Dynasty. Many of the concubines and eunuchs' tombs became agricultural field later and so did many other structures annexed to the tombs.
Overall, 13 Ming Toms has undergone 600 years that spans across three historical periods: the Qing Dynasty, the Republic of China and the People’s Republic of China. Although most of the structures, especially those on the ground suffered natural and human destruction, the entire layout and the underground palaces are perfectly preserved. Besides, the natural environment around the tombs is still gorgeous as before. In the vast tombs area, tourists normally visit two of the 13: the most imposing and largest Chang Ling, and the underground palace of Ding Ling, the only excavated Ming imperial tomb so far
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