Qing Xiaoling Mausoleum

Qing Xiaoling Mausoleum

The Qing Xiaoling Mausoleum is a cultural tourism attraction.

The Xiaoling Mausoleum is the tomb of Emperor Shunzhi (Aisin Gioro Fulin), the first emperor of the Qing Dynasty. It is located at the southern foot of the main peak of Rui Mountain, backed by Changrui Mountain and facing Jinxing Mountain, situated along the central axis of the mausoleum complex. The subsequent four imperial tombs are arranged symmetrically on either side, vividly reflecting traditional concepts of "centrality as honor," "order of seniority," and "distinction of hierarchy."

The site of the Xiaoling Mausoleum was chosen by Emperor Shunzhi himself during his lifetime. However, in the early years of the Qing Dynasty, continuous warfare and an empty national treasury, coupled with the fact that Emperor Shunzhi was still relatively young, delayed the construction. It wasn’t until the 18th year of Shunzhi’s reign (1661), after his passing, that work began, and by November 19th of the 3rd year of the Kangxi reign (1664), the main structures were completed.

This mausoleum was the first imperial tomb built by the Qing rulers within the Great Wall, notable for its grand scale and imposing presence. Starting from the stone memorial archway at the foot of Jinxing Mountain and extending northward, the layout includes the Dismounting Stele, the Great Red Gate, the Dressing Chamber, the Divine Merit and Sage Virtue Stele Pavilion, stone statues, the Dragon and Phoenix Gate, the Single-Arch Bridge, the Seven-Arch Bridge, the Five-Arch Bridge, another Dismounting Stele, the Three-Path Three-Arch Bridge and Dongping Bridge, the Divine Merit Stele Pavilion, the Divine Kitchen and Storage, the East and West Waiting Halls, the Long’en Gate, the East and West Incense Burners, the East and West Side Halls, the Long’en Hall, the Glazed Flower Gate, the Two-Pillar Gate, the Five-Altar Sacrificial Platform, the Square City, the Ming Tower, the Treasure City, the Treasure Mound, and the Underground Palace. These dozens of structures, large and small, are connected by a Sacred Way stretching approximately 6 kilometers, forming a cohesive architectural sequence. The arrangement and combination of these buildings follow the “Form and Configuration Theory” of geomancy, with their sizes, heights, distances, and densities visually controlled under the principle of “hundred feet for form, thousand feet for momentum.” The surrounding landscape—mountains and rivers—is skillfully framed as focal points, backgrounds, and complementary scenery, achieving the effect of “encircling distant momentum in a ring and gathering artful forms to display grandeur.” This offers viewers a powerful aesthetic impression characterized by “loftiness without peril, humility without insignificance, openness without emptiness, density without oppression,” and a dynamic balance of “stillness within motion, and motion within stillness.” Due to insufficient preparation for construction and the urgent need to bury Emperor Shunzhi, whose coffin had been waiting for interment, some materials and components from Ming Dynasty structures—including the “Qingfu Hall” on the western shore of Beihai Lake—were dismantled and repurposed.

Originally constructed in the 1660s, by the 1990s the mausoleum had suffered considerable damage over more than 330 years due to natural forces and human activity. Approved by the National Cultural Heritage Administration of the People’s Republic of China, comprehensive restoration was carried out between 1991 and 1993, restoring the site to its former glory.