Qing Jingling

Qing Jingling

Qing Jingling is a cultural tourism attraction.

Jingling is the mausoleum of Emperor Kangxi, Aisin Gioro Xuanye, located 1 kilometer east of Qing Xiaoling. The mausoleum was constructed starting February 10, 1676 (the 15th year of Kangxi’s reign), and completed in 1681 (the 20th year of his reign).

Jingling is backed by Changrui Mountain, and its buildings are laid out from south to north in the following order: the Sacred Virtue Stele Pavilion, the Five-Arch Bridge, the Stone Pillars, Stone Statues, the Dismounting Stele, the Divine Kitchen and Storeroom, the Paifang Gate, the Spirit Way Stele Pavilion, the Two-Pillar Gate, the Five-Tiered Stone Sacrificial Utensils, the Square Castle, the Ming Tower, the Precious Castle, and the Precious Mound, beneath which lies the underground palace. These various structures are connected along a 9.70-meter-wide Sacred Way, forming a complete architectural sequence. This Sacred Way connects to the Xiaoling Sacred Way to the south and extends directly to the Precious Castle to the north, winding like a dragon and flowing gracefully.

Jingling is the second imperial mausoleum built by the Qing Dynasty within the Dongling complex, and its scale is slightly smaller than that of Xiaoling. While its overall design is based on Xiaoling, some modifications were made. For example, the Sacred Virtue Stele Pavilion houses two steles; the number of Stone Statues was reduced to five pairs; and the Dragon-Phoenix Gate was changed to a Paifang Gate. Jingling also introduced major reforms in burial customs, establishing the system of burying the empress first and then interring imperial consorts alongside her. It also abandoned the traditional practice of cremation, adopting instead full-body burials. The architectural style and funeral customs of Jingling were widely emulated by later dynasties, serving as a crucial transitional link.

In the Qing imperial tombs, the Sacred Virtue Stele Pavilion was built by an emperor’s successor to commemorate the achievements of the previous ruler. The Sacred Virtue Stele Pavilion of Jingling was constructed between 1725 and 1727 (the 3rd to 5th years of the Yongzheng reign). According to Emperor Yongzheng’s directive, two stone steles were erected in the pavilion, inscribed in both Manchu and Chinese, detailing Emperor Kangxi’s remarkable accomplishments over more than 60 years. The inscriptions, personally penned by Emperor Yongzheng, spanned over 4,300 characters and remain a valuable historical resource for the study of the Kangxi era.

The arrangement of the Stone Statues at Jingling differs from all other imperial tombs of the Qing Dynasty. Due to terrain constraints, the stretch of the Sacred Way from the Five-Arch Bridge to the Paifang Gate features a winding, curved path, making symmetrical placement impossible—as was done in other mausoleums. Hence, architects adapted to the route of the road, arranging the statues flexibly along the curves. This innovative design broke away from rigid patterns and created a dynamic, ever-changing visual effect as visitors walk along, reflecting the intelligence and creativity of its designers at the time.

Buried alongside Emperor Kangxi in Jingling are: Empress Xiaochengren (née Heseri, granddaughter of regent Sonin, mother of the deposed crown prince, who died in 1674 at age 22 due to complications during childbirth), Empress Xiaozhaoren (née Niohuru, daughter of regent Ebilun, who passed away in 1678), Empress Xiaoyiren (née Tongjiya, daughter of Tong Guowei, who became empress one day before her death in 1689), Empress Xiaogongren (née Uya, mother of Emperor Yongzheng, titled Consort De during Kangxi’s reign, later honored as Empress Dowager, and who died in 1723), and Imperial Noble Consort Jingmin (née Zhangjia, mother of the 13th son Yinzhi, Prince Yi, titled Noble Consort Min during Kangxi’s reign, died in 1699 and was initially buried in the Jingling Imperial Concubine Tomb. She was posthumously honored as Imperial Noble Consort in 1723 and reinterred in Jingling).

Location

Near Qingdongling, Malanyu Town, Zunhua City, Tangshan, Hebei Province

Emperor Kangxi, Aisin Gioro Xuanye (May 4, 1654 – December 20, 1722), was the fourth emperor of the Qing Dynasty, referred to as “Enkh Amgalan Khan” in Mongolia. Ascending the throne at age 8 and assuming personal rule at 14, he reigned for 61 years—the longest in Chinese history. During his rule, he reduced taxes, developed the economy, consolidated the unified multi-ethnic state, reclaimed Taiwan, established administrative counties, resisted Russian aggression, decisively defeated the Dzungar Khanate, and oversaw the compilation of cultural texts, laying the foundation for the “Prosperous Era of Kangxi and Qianlong.” He passed away in 1722 in Beijing’s Chang… More details about Aisin Gioro Xuanye ++