Nanjing Sifangcheng - The Sacred Merit and Virtue Stele of the Xiaoling Tomb of the Ming Dynasty

Nanjing Sifangcheng - The Sacred Merit and Virtue Stele of the Xiaoling Tomb of the Ming Dynasty

Nanjing Sifangcheng

The stele pavilion of the Sacred Merit and Virtue Stele of the Xiaoling Tomb of the Ming Dynasty, commonly known as Sifangcheng, was built in the 11th year of the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty (1413). The building has a square floor plan with an arched gate on each of its four sides. Inside stands the "Sacred Merit and Virtue Stele of the Xiaoling Tomb of the Ming Dynasty," erected by the Ming Emperor Chengzu Zhu Di in honor of his father, Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang. The stele stands 8.78 meters tall. The original double-eaved hip-and-gable roof, covered with yellow glazed tiles, was destroyed during the wars between the Taiping Rebellion and Qing forces in the Xianfeng era. The base, stele top, and lower sections of the outer walls are adorned with rich carvings.

The Ming Tower at Nanjing Sifangcheng is a symbolic gate tower of the underground palace city of the Xiaoling Tomb. There is a passageway in the middle, and one can ascend to the Ming Tower through this passage. The roof of the Ming Tower has been destroyed, leaving only its four walls. Inside stands a stone stele mounted on a turtle-shaped pedestal. The inscription, personally composed by Zhu Di, contains 2,746 characters detailing the virtues and achievements of Emperor Taizu. The stele base and top are exquisitely carved.

The stone turtle in the center of Sifangcheng is originally named ????, also called ???. It is the base of a stele. "The Sacred Merit and Virtue Stele of the Xiaoling Tomb" was erected in the 11th year of the Yongle reign (1413), established by Zhu Di in honor of Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang. The stele bears inscriptions about Zhu Yuanzhang. Sifangcheng was originally a stele pavilion with a square floor plan, commonly referred to as "Sifangcheng."

The lower parts of the walls are made of stone, shaped as Sumeru pedestals, with various carvings on the waist section. The roof of the stele pavilion no longer exists. Experts speculate that the original roof was a double-eaved hip-and-gable structure, covered with yellow glazed tiles, which was destroyed by the Taiping forces. The turtle-shaped stele base stands 2.08 meters tall. The stele itself is 8.78 meters high, making it the largest stele carving in the Nanjing area. It is said that it was transported from Longtan, a location convenient for shipping by boat.

Address: Within the Ming Xiaoling Tomb scenic area, Zhongshan Scenic Area, Xuanwu District, Nanjing

Type: Historical Architecture

Recommended Visit Duration: 30 minutes

Phone: 025-84431174

Opening Hours:

7:00-18:00