26 Aug 2026 - NKG Day 6: Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum (明孝陵)

The highlight for today was to visit Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum (明孝陵), a UNESCO World Heritage site and the grand burial place of the Hongwu Emperor (Zhu Yuanzhang - 朱元璋), the founding ruler of the Ming Dynasty, and his consort, Empress Ma (馬皇后). It is located in Purple Mountain (紫金山 or 钟山). The mountain covers a total area of 31 square kilometers (12 square miles), with more than two hundred scenic spots, including fifteen key historical and cultural relics under state protection. There are admission fees for each of the key attractions. We bought the combo tickets which allowed us to visit multiple attractions. However, looking at the map, it's unlikely that we could visit all in a day.

From the ticket office, it was quite a long walk to the entrance of Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum. The mausoleum is highly regarded for its integration of natural landscape with traditional feng shui (风水) design elements. The tomb complex is divided into two primary ceremonial sections. First, it is The Sacred Way (神道). 

Unlike straight traditional layouts, this unique 2,400-metre path wound gracefully through the woods. It began at the Dismounting Archway and featured the Elephant Road, flanked by 12 pairs of intricately carved stone animals (lions, camels, elephants, and mythical beasts) guarding the path.

The path was then followed by the Wengzhong Road, which displayed 4 pairs of massive stone civil and military officials.

Finally, we reached the main body and burial area of Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum. Renowned as "The First Imperial Mausoleum in the Ming and Qing Dynasties", Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum of Ming Dynasty has a dramatic influence on the pattern of imperial mausoleums in the following five hundred years. In July 2003, it was listed as a World Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Soon we arrived at the Square City (方城), a massive stone fortifying structure topped by the Ming Tower (明楼).

We went through an upslope tunnel, followed by more upslope by the wall to reach to the Ming Tower.

The Ming Tower (明楼), also known as the Soul Tower, is the crowning above-ground architectural feature of the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum. Placed at the very end of the main ceremonial axis, it acts as the majestic "gatehouse" to the emperor's final resting place.

It was very tiring after the long walk and the climb to Ming Tower, especially under such hot weather. We rested for quite a while before leaving for the next attraction, Meiling Palace (美龄宫).

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