Ming Kangling Mausoleum

Ming Kangling Mausoleum

Ming Kangling Mausoleum is a cultural tourism attraction.

Ming Kangling Mausoleum, located at the eastern foot of Lotus Mountain in the Tianshou Mountain Tomb Area of Changping, is the joint burial mausoleum of the tenth Ming emperor, Emperor Wuzong Zhu Houzhao, and his empress, Xia. The construction took one year, and the overall layout follows previous designs, featuring a square front and a round rear. Kangling currently has the most brick stele inscriptions among the Thirteen Ming Tombs. Built in the sixteenth year of the Zhengde era (1521), it covers an area of 27,000 square meters. In the late Ming period, Kangling was burned down and was later renovated during the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty.

Kangling was built in April of the sixteenth year of the Zhengde era (1521 AD). In June of the first year of the Jiajing era (1522 AD), the mausoleum complex was completed. The tomb structures consist of three parts: the Sacred Way, the mausoleum palace, and auxiliary buildings outside the palace. The Sacred Way includes one Five-Arch Bridge and one Three-Arch Bridge, as well as a stele pavilion near the tomb housing a wordless stele. The mausoleum palace has a square front and a round rear layout, covering an area of 27,000 square meters. It features two courtyards: the first courtyard has the Leng'en Gate as the entrance, a single-eave hip-and-gable roof with three bays. Inside are the Leng'en Hall and left and right side halls, each with five bays, along with two spirit altars. The second courtyard has a Three-Door Gate at the front, inside which stand a Two-Pillar Archway and a stone altar with a stone incense burner, two candlesticks, and two flower vases. Behind the square courtyard lies the round Treasure Mound, with a square city platform at the entrance and a double-eave hip-and-gable Ming Tower built atop it. Inside the tower is a sacred stele inscribed with “Ming” and “Tomb of Emperor Wuzong, the Martial Emperor.” Behind the Ming Tower, the Treasure Mound begins to rise from the inner side of the drainage channel toward the center, forming a naturally undulating shape. In front of the mound and slightly to the sides are low walls no higher than a person’s chest, with a glazed screen wall erected opposite the entrance passage of the Treasure Mound. Outside the mausoleum palace are auxiliary buildings such as the Slaughtering Pavilion, Divine Kitchen, Divine Warehouse, Sacrificial Office, Imperial Tomb Guardian Office, Waiting Rooms, Orchard, Hazelnut Plantation, and Imperial Horse Stables.

The five peaks behind Kangling are steep and are called “Lotus Mountain” or “Eight-Treasure Lotus Mountain.” However, locals refer to the area as “Lianhua Mountain” (Love Flower Mountain). Zhu Houzhao often traveled in disguise among the people. It is said that he abducted a beauty named Li Feng in Datong, Shanxi, and abandoned her at Juyong Pass on his way back to Beijing. Later, Li Feng gave birth to a son at Juyong Pass and died in despair. The local people buried her on the southern hillside of Juyong Pass. As her tomb was covered with white grass, it became known as “Bai Fengzhong” (White Phoenix Tomb), which remains one of the “Seventy-Two Scenic Spots of Guan Valley” to this day. (The famous Peking opera “The Monarch and the Beauty” depicts this story.) Zhu Houzhao died without an heir, and the ministers recalled Li Feng. They found her son at Juyong Pass and brought him to Beijing to ascend the throne as the Jiajing Emperor. The mountain peak behind the tomb is called “Lianhua Mountain,” a sarcastic reference to Zhu Houzhao being born among flowers and dying beneath them. To preserve the imperial family’s dignity, the Ming court renamed it “Lotus Mountain.”

The Ming Tower of Kangling resembles that of Ming Tailing Mausoleum, but the square city is relatively small. The Ming Tower was damaged in the late Ming period and was further reduced in size during the Qing Dynasty’s reconstruction. Years of destruction have left it in ruins. The sacred stele inside the Ming Tower, inscribed with “Tomb of Emperor Wuzong, the Martial Emperor,” has cracks and a broken fragment. Though dilapidated, the peeling wall plaster of the Ming Tower reveals diverse, clear, and exquisitely designed brick inscriptions. With various scripts, titles, and place names, some inscriptions contain up to sixty-one characters, showcasing primitive charm. Although many above-ground structures of Kangling have been damaged, its underground treasure—the burial chamber—remains unrobbed. It wasn’t that robbers didn’t attempt it, but the tomb’s sophisticated and well-designed structure has withstood the test of time for 500 years, rarely revealing any vulnerabilities. Before liberation, bandits tried to dig into the burial mound to steal treasures, but heavy rain caused the tunnel to collapse, burying the thieves inside and sparing the mausoleum. The Treasure Mound of Kangling is relatively low, unlike the tall and solid ones of Changling. Many bricks have collapsed, and the battlements are ruined. Overgrown vegetation on the mound conceals all ancient traces. Though remotely located, Kangling’s stunning scenery and ancient brick inscriptions give it a profound historical aura.

Attraction Location

No. 16, Kangling Village, Changling Town, Changping District, Beijing, China

Emperor Wuzong Zhu Houzhao of the Ming Dynasty (October 27, 1491 – April 20, 1521), of Han ethnicity, was the tenth emperor of the Ming Dynasty. He was the eldest son of Emperor Xiaozong Zhu Youcheng and Empress Zhang, and reigned under the era name Zhengde, later referred to as the Zhengde Emperor or Ming Wuzong.

Emperor Wuzong Zhu Houzhao was a playful emperor. Though he lived only 31 years, he left behind three major mysteries in history: the mystery of his parentage, his desire to be a great general rather than an emperor, and his indulgence in pleasure until death.

During the Zhengde Emperor’s reign, he favored eunuchs who had served in the crown prince’s palace... More details about Zhu Houzhao ++

Shisanling Town: A township under the jurisdiction of Changping County. Established as Tailingyuan Township in 1956, renamed Shisanling Commune in 1958, and became Shisanling Township in 1982. Located in the northern part of the county, 1 km from the county seat, it covers an area of 67.9 square kilometers with a population of 14,000. National Highways 108 and 110 pass through the area. It governs 16 village committees including Jian Tou, Shibaifang, Nanxin Village, Xiānrén Dòng, Dàgōngmén, Kanglingyuán, Wáng Zhuāng, Tàilingyuán, Hú Zhuāng, Xīshānkǒu, Xiǎogōngmén, Dàolíngjiān, Wànniángfén, Déshèngkǒu, Guǒ Zhuāng, and Chánglingyuán, as well as one neighborhood committee, Beixin Village. It is one of Beijing’s top ten fruit-producing townships, known for its... More details about Shisanling Town ++

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