Groundbreaking ceremony of the protection project of reconstructing
Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum and adding a top held in Nanjing

(A comprehensive report by our station) National Heritage Board requests: With the minimum intervention, we shall protect the existing heritage body under the premise of maintaining it identifiable.
Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, a Royal Mausoleum with a 610-year history, breaks the precedent mausoleum regulation of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Walking to the terminal of the axis of Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, we will see Rectangular Citadel made of strips of stones, and Ming Tower is on Rectangular Citadel. Standing on the floor of Rectangular Citadel, we can only see some of red walls of Ming Tower, and the top of the tower had been destroyed in wars in Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. Washed away by the rain over the past 100 years, Rectangular Citadel and Ming Tower had been "wrapped in silver cosmetics": the large outflow of white adhesive from the walls made the structure of Rectangular Citadel increasingly fragile. In order to protect the world cultural heritage, approved by National Heritage Board, at 10:00 yesterday, the protection project of reconstructing Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum and adding a top formally started, which caught much attention. The project will be completed by the end of this year. National Heritage Board requested that the existing heritage body shall be protected under the premise of being identifiable with the minimum intervention.

Rectangular Citadel and Ming Tower are the innovations of ZhuYuanzhang(Emperor Chengzu)
Yesterday morning, before the groundbreaking ceremony, our reporter followed the expert on the history of Ming Dynasty, Ji Shijia, who was the former researcher of Jiangsu Provincial Academy of Social Sciences, to the pavilion of Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, and Ji pointing at “Zhi Long Tang Song” inscribed on the pavilion by Emperor Kangxi, told our reporter that Zhu Yuanzhang was an emperor who liked independent thinking. Rectangular Citadel and Ming Tower of Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum are innovations of Zhu Yuanzhang in the history of emperor mausoleums. Its embryonic form was the gate tower surrounding Fengyang Imperial Mausoleum. Zhu Yuanzhang moved it to XiaoLing Mausoleum in Nanjing. At that time, Ming Tower used a wooden structure: its plane was rectangular and there were three holes in the ground floor openings. Zhu Yuanzhang changed the  three holes into one hole. He also creatively built the sacred way using the turning form with a wall outside the mausoleum, which was unprecedented in the past ancient emperors’ mausoleums. It was no wonder Emperor Kangxi visited Jiangnah for six times, five times of which he homage the Mausoleum, showing his respect of Zhu Yuanzhang. His action moved his followers. Ji said that after relocation of the capital to Beijing in Ming Dynasty, the 13 Ming Tombs of the Ming Tower were changed into the shape of square and built of stones. Even Bucket Arches and Beams were composed of stones, such as Yong Tomb and Ding Tomb. Besides, Monument was built in Ming Tower. At this time, Ming Tower had become a stele building, which was totally different from precedent gate towers. "So Rectangular Citadel and Ming Tower of Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum should be cherished in particular."

Ming Tower overburdened due to 100 years of water seepage
At the scene, deputy director of the administration bureau of Dr.Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum, Yu Jinbao said that with 600 years of history, Rectangular Citadel and Ming Tower needed to be reconstructed urgently. Rectangular Citadel is the largest building in front of the pagoda top. There is an arch in the center of Rectangular Citadel. Entering into Rectangular Citadel from the arch, we will see circular and arched tunnels formed by 54 steps. Ming Tower is on Rectangular Citadel, 39.25 meters long from east to west and 19.4 meters wide from north to south. The floors are made of square bricks, on which there had been double eaves and flying angles covered by yellow glasses, looking gorgeous and majestic. Due to wars, the original roof was destroyed in the war in Taiping Heavenly Kingdom in 1853. Now there are only remaining walls. Yu, pointing to the top of Rectangular Citadel, said: "Because Ming Tower lacked an effective cover, the entire Tower had been eroded by wind and rain in a long term, making it "wrapped in silver cosmetics". The chief culprit is water seepage. For centuries, eroded by the rain, water flew into the wall, mixed with the adhesive and flew out from the slot of stones, so that the structure of Rectangular Citadel has become increasingly fragile, which has always been our greatest heart disease." Yu Jinbao said that in recent years, a range of protection repairs has been done within Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum and remarkable results are gained. Adding a top to intervene rain erosion is the fundamental way to solve water seepage.

Not to create "new antique"
How is the top to be added? Will the top be made of new materials unrelated to Ming Dynasty architecture, or restored in accordance with the official architectural elements in Ming Dynasty? These are difficult problems faced in front of relevant leaders and experts. Guo Huayu, vice president of School of Architecture and Planning, Nanjing University of Technology, is one of the designers of the project. She told our reporter that the current programme was through repeated dozens of rounds of research, demonstration and amends and then was finally agreed. In 2006, she took over the project. Then, she visited all royal buildings of Ming Dynasty and the 13 Ming Tombs in Beijing. "Taking into account the appearance of the overall space of Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, we make a bold vision: we use lightweight steels at the top to reduce load, use yellow glasses with double eaves, and use mortar bed for waterproofing. From the outside, the architectural style will be in line with Rectangular Citadel and Ming Tower.” As to our reporter’s question whether adding a top on such an important site would arouse public controversy since from the effect drawing, it is a "new antique". Guo Huayu explained that the top is added for protection, not reconstruction, nor rehabilitation. The design in line with official building structure in Ming Dynasty is to convey to tourists such conformation so that they can feel the unity of Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum. She also told our reporter that the original red walls of Ming Tower will retain the traces of years. If the construction goes smoothly, the problem of water seepage will be solved thereafter.

 "Minimum intervention" to heritage body
In the groundbreaking ceremony, Director of World Heritage Department, National Heritage Board, Liu Huabin stressed that, "We’ve ultimately determined the nature of the project is to do protection facilities to protect the existing architectural. Under the premise of meeting the function, we shall use a simple and light form of the structure, as far as possible. Also we can properly attach the architectural elements of Ming Dynasty. We shall adopt a very careful and responsible attitude towards the project." He hoped that the concerned parties would strictly comply with the requests approved by National Heritage Board and the programme approved by Jiangsu Province Heritage Board, protecting the existing heritage body under the premise of maintaining it identifiable with the minimum intervention, and at the same time, pay much attention to historical information display. Liu Huabin thought that although it was not a big piece of work, the project was typical and exemplary.

 The administration bureau of Dr.Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum: responsible to the heritage, responsible to the history, responsible to later generations
Director of the administration bureau of Dr.Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum, Wang Pengshan in the groundbreaking ceremony stressed that the project was "not to engage in nothing, nor a wretched sequel to a fine work," but "to repair the old and keep in line with the old". They would adopt an attitude of being responsible to the heritage, responsible to the history, responsible to later generations. Wang said that the project would be stood the test of time, and handed down withstand the history comments. It would be satisfactory to all sectors of the society.

Effect of the completion of the project of reconstructing Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum and adding a top
Link 1:
Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum is the tomb of the Hongwu Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, which is one of the biggest imperial tombs in China. In 1961, it was announced by the State Council as the first batch of key national heritage conservation units. In 2003, Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum of Nanjing was inscribed by UNESCO as part of the World Heritage Sites "Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties".
Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum creates a mausoleum system of "the former being the court and the rear being the bedchamber" and there being three entrances before and after the mausoleum. Inherited by the Ming Tombs, Mingxian Mausoleum, Qingdong Mausoleum and Qingxi Mausoleum, Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum is the milestone in the historical development of Chinese mausoleums.
Rectangular Citadel and Ming Tower, located in front of the pagoda top, both are the first creative architectural forms of Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum. The plane of Rectangular Citadel is rectangular, which is made of strips of stones.  The height is 16.25 meters, the surface width is 60 meters, and the depth is 34.22 meters. The lower part is sumeru made of stones and square profiling. In the center is Dismounting Archway, which is 3.86 meters high and leads to the circular and arched tunnels. The tunnels are deep and use sumeru as the base. From low-level to high-level of the entrance, there are 54 steps. To the north exit of the tunnel is the “folder city" which is between Rectangular Citadel and the pagoda top, which is 5.6 meters wide. From there are steps both in east and west leading to the top of Rectangular Citadel and Ming Tower.