Ming Xiaoling Tomb

Ming Xiaoling Tomb

Ming Xiaoling Tomb is a cultural tourism attraction.

Ming Xiaoling Tomb, located at the foot of the western peak of Tianshou Mountain, is the mausoleum of the fourth emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Renzong Zhao (Zhu Gaochi), and his empress, Lady Zhang.

The construction of Xiaoling Tomb began after the death of Emperor Renzong. In his final edict, he stated: “My reign has been short, and my grace has not yet fully reached the people. I cannot bear to impose further labor. The design of my mausoleum must be kept simple and frugal.” After ascending the throne, Emperor Xuanzong (Zhu Zhanji) complied with the late emperor’s wishes in constructing Xiaoling Tomb. He summoned the ministers Jian Yi and Xia Yuanji to the palace and said to them: “The nation, rich with the wealth of the four seas, need not spare expense to bury its rulers. But why should we not be frugal? The sages and wise emperors of ancient times all adhered to simplicity. As filial sons, we only wish to preserve our parents’ remains for eternity—we do not seek lavish burials. The extravagance of burials during the Qin and Han dynasties serves as a clear warning. Moreover, the late emperor’s edict explicitly called for a frugal tomb. The whole world knows this. For the construction of this imperial tomb, I believe we should follow my father’s original intention. What do you think?” Jian Yi and the others replied: “Your Majesty’s vision is lofty and born of sincere filial piety. This will benefit generations to come.” Thus, Emperor Xuanzong personally determined the specifications of the tomb and appointed Prince Chengshan Wang Tong and Minister of Works Huang Fu to oversee the construction. Work began in July of the first year of the Hongxi era and by August, the main structures were completed, and Emperor Renzong was laid to rest—all within just three months. Ground-level structures were gradually built afterward. In August, the Ministry of Works in residence was ordered to construct the gate tower, offering hall, side halls, and the kitchen shrine. In December of the seventh year of the Zhengtong era (1442), the Ming Tower was built, and by March of the following year, all structures of the tomb complex were finished. The workforce included ten thousand soldiers led by Li Long, Defender of Nanjing and Marquis of Xiangcheng, 118,000 skilled craftsmen from the naval shipyards near Nanjing and nearby Jiangbei Prefecture, as well as 50,000 conscripted laborers gathered from Henan, Shandong, Shanxi, Zhili, Fengyang, and Daming prefectures.

Upon completion, Xiaoling Tomb indeed reflected a relatively modest design. Its Sacred Way branches off from the northern end of the fifth bridge on the Sacred Way of Changling Tomb, stretching approximately one kilometer. Along the way stands a single-arch stone bridge. The path is paved with city bricks in the center and bordered with crushed stone for drainage—very simple—and there are no separate stone statues, stele pavilions (the existing stele pavilion was added during the Jiajing era), or other elaborate structures. Compared to Changling Tomb, the tomb palace buildings are also very restrained. The orientation faces 20 degrees west of south, covering an area of only about 42,000 square meters. The main hall, side halls, and kitchen shrine each consist of five bays and are all single-eaved structures; the gate tower (En Gate) has just three bays. The square wall and Ming Tower are not only less towering than those of Changling Tomb but also feature simpler straight-through passageways beneath the arched gates instead of the more complex designs. The screen wall is placed not inside the archway but behind the square wall, in front of the tomb mound. The ramp leading up to the Ming Tower is moved to the left and right sides inside the treasure wall. Because Xiaoling Tomb avoids extravagance in its design, previous observers remarked that among the Ming tombs, “Xiaoling is the simplest, Jingling the smallest,” and it set a model for subsequent Ming imperial tombs.

Another distinctive feature of Ming Xiaoling Tomb is that the En Hall and the square wall with Ming Tower are not connected within the same courtyard. The front section centers on the En Hall, forming a single courtyard with side halls and an incense burner on either side. The main gate of the courtyard is the En Gate, which also serves as the tomb’s main entrance, featuring a large raised terrace in front and a single gate at the back. The rear section centers on the treasure wall and Ming Tower, also forming a single courtyard with a two-pillar spirit gate and a stone offering table. The gate of this courtyard consists of three single-eaved, hip-and-gable roof glazed flower gates. Between the two courtyards lies a small earthen hill (the Screen Hill). Why was such a layout with a central hill chosen? It relates to the feng shui of the tomb site.

The small hill in front of the treasure wall of Xiaoling Tomb is called Yu’an Hill. Extending from the left side of the tomb complex, it forms the dragon sand of Xiaoling Tomb. Because it curves around and embraces the front of the tomb, it is also considered the near altar of the site. In feng shui theory, “dragons favor long origins, and sand hills favor encircling movement,” and “with dragons and tigers encircling and a near altar before them,” this describes the layout of the inner hall. The Yu’an Hill of Xiaoling Tomb, along with the dragon sand, tiger sand, and surrounding hills, forms a small-scale pattern that feng shui masters tout as the ideal inner hall layout. Therefore, when constructing Xiaoling Tomb, only the treasure wall, Ming Tower, and front courtyard were built within the inner hall area, while the En Hall, used for ceremonies, was positioned in front of Yu’an Hill. Through this clever design, not only was the issue of limited space in the inner hall resolved—preventing the construction of both the treasure wall and multiple courtyards—but the feng shui principle of “not damaging the dragon sand” was also upheld. Furthermore, the resulting layout features rolling hills and staggered halls, achieving a harmonious unity between human-made structures and the natural landscape. The geometric tomb architecture, set against the backdrop of mountains, water, and trees, becomes even more pleasingly varied. This is something the superstitious feudal emperors and feng shui experts of the time could never have anticipated.

The tomb structures of Xiaoling were renovated during the 50th to 52nd years of the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty (1785–1787). During this renovation, the Ming Tower retained its external appearance, but its interior wooden framework was replaced with a stone vaulted ceiling. On the right side of the passageway under the square wall, a new ramp was added to allow access to the treasure wall. Most auxiliary buildings, such as the side halls and kitchen shrine, were demolished. The En Gate was reduced in size, and its roof was changed from a hip-and-gable style to a flush-gable style. The Stele Pavilion of Divine Merit and Sage Virtue had its walls removed, leaving only waist-high walls built around the stele on its platform. Later, both the En Hall and En Gate were destroyed again during the late Qing and early Republican periods. During the Japanese invasion of China, parts of the walls of the front courtyard, as well as the gable walls of the En Gate and En Hall, were torn down to provide bricks for constructing gun emplacements. Today, aside from the treasure wall, Ming Tower, and the walls of the rear courtyard, which have been well-preserved through renovations, all structures in the front courtyard have been reduced to ruins.

Emperor Renzong of Ming (Zhu Gaochi, 1378–1425) was the fourth emperor of the Ming Dynasty and the eldest son of Emperor Chengzu (Zhu Di). He ascended the throne in August of the 22nd year of the Yongle era (1424) and adopted the reign title “Hongxi” the following year.

Zhu Gaochi was naturally dignified, calm, and prudent, with measured speech and behavior, and a love for reading. His refined and benevolent character won the deep affection of his grandfather, Emperor Hongwu (Zhu Yuanzhang). However, he was somewhat overweight, which contributed to his weaker physical constitution. Although his reign was brief, Zhu Gaochi ruled with leniency and openness, promoting production and allowing the people to rest. He pardoned many former officials of the Jianwen Emperor and redressed numerous wrongful convictions... More details on Emperor Zhu Gaochi ++

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. The township administers 16 village committees (including Jian Tou, Shibaifang, Nanxin Village, Immortal Cave, Great Palace Gate, Kanglingyuan, Wangzhuang, Tailingyuan, Huzhuang, Xishankou, Xiaogongmen, Daolingjian, Wan’nangfen, Deshengkou, Guozhuang, and Changlingyuan) and one neighborhood committee (Beixin Village). It is one of Beijing’s top ten fruit-producing townships, known for its flat peaches... More details on Shisanling Town ++

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