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The Great Golden Gate of the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum

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The Great Golden Gate is the main entrance to the outer city wall of the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum and also the first formal gateway into the mausoleum area. Facing south, it originally had three arched gateways. During the Ming Dynasty, it was fitted with vermilion-painted wooden doors and topped with a yellow-glazed tile roof, but both the gates and the roof have long since disappeared. In the Ming era, this Great Golden Gate was an imposing and awe-inspiring site—ordinary people were not allowed to enter without permission...

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The Great Golden Gate is the main entrance to the outer city wall of the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum and also the first formal gateway into the mausoleum area. Facing south, it originally had three arched gateways. During the Ming Dynasty, it was fitted with vermilion-painted wooden doors and topped with a yellow-glazed tile roof, but both the gates and the roof have long since disappeared. In the Ming era, this Great Golden Gate was an imposing and awe-inspiring site—ordinary people were not allowed to enter without permission, and violators would face a punishment of one hundred strokes of the cane.

The lower part of the gate is built from stone with a Sumeru pedestal, featuring carved floral designs on the waist section, reflecting the innovative architectural style of the early Ming Dynasty. The gate is flanked by the red outer city walls, and traces of their connection can still be seen today.

Address: Within the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum Scenic Area, Lingyuan Road, Xuanwu District, Nanjing

Type: Historical Site / Historic Architecture

Recommended Visiting Time: About 30 minutes

Opening Hours:

7:00-18:00