Jingling Imperial Concubine Cemetery

Jingling Imperial Concubine Cemetery

The Jingling Imperial Concubine Cemetery is a cultural tourism attraction.

The Jingling Imperial Concubine Cemetery is located 0.5 km southeast of the Jingling Imperial Consort Cemetery, facing south with its back to the north. It houses the remains of Empress Dowager Quhui and Empress Dowager Yi, both imperial consorts of Emperor Kangxi.

Built in the fourth year of the Qianlong reign (1739), the cemetery's architectural layout from south to north consists of: an arched bridge and a flat bridge, east and west wing rooms, east and west duty rooms, the main gate, the cremation furnace, east and west side halls, the offering hall, the cemetery gate, and in the rear courtyard, two square city structures with their respective beacon towers and imperial tombs, as well as burial mounds, built side by side to the east and west. Buildings within the main gate are roofed with green glazed tiles, while the wing rooms and duty rooms have grey clay tile roofs.

Constructing a separate cemetery for these two consorts was an exception during the Qing dynasty. In the 61st year of Emperor Kangxi’s reign (1772), Hongli (the future Emperor Qianlong) lived in the palace and received attentive care from these two consorts. As they were still alive during the Qianlong era, Emperor Qianlong, in an expression of filial piety and gratitude for their nurturing, not only had a separate cemetery built for them but also significantly expanded the layout beyond standard consort cemetery specifications.

According to Qing regulations, consort cemeteries did not include side halls, square cities, or beacon towers, yet this cemetery has all such features. Additionally, unlike standard consort cemetery offering halls—which do not have a dais stone—this cemetery's offering hall features a "Phoenix Facing the Sun" dais stone, making it the highest-ranking consort cemetery of the Qing dynasty.