Spending the early summer at the Ming Tomb; searching for stories about the Ming Dynasty--II

Spanning a period of 600 years from the Dajin Gate to the Area of Tomb Palace
Along the tour route of “Dismounting Archway—The Ming Tomb Museum—Dajin Gate-----Sifang City (Stele Pavilion)---Stone Elephant Road—Wengzhong Road ---The Area of Tomb Palace”, tourists can experience the complete spatial sequence of the Ming Tomb in a better way, because it was also along this route that people paid a visit to the tomb in the Ming Dynasty. Last time, we walked from the Dismounting Archway to the Museum of the Ming Tomb. This time, with Dajin Gate as a starting point, let’s appreciate the glory of the Ming Dynasty prevailing 600 years ago.

The route for walking into the Ming Tomb: Dajin Gate----Sifang City (Stele Pavilion)---- Stone Elephant Road—Wengzhong Road ----The Area of Tomb Palace

The first stop: Dajin Gate

Dajin Gate is not only the front gate of the city-wall outside the Ming Tomb, but also the first gate to the formal area of the tomb. You are required to buy a ticket before entering this area. As a building with three arched-doors, one eave and a hip roof, Dajin Gate is a paragon of gates to imperial tombs of the Ming Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty. Rinsed by a history of over 600 years, the top and the glazed tiles of Dajin Gate have disappeared into thin air, and the red paint on the wall has also fallen off. As explained by a researcher, Dajin Gate not only had a vermeil gate originally, but also had a ring of long red wall which encircled the area of the Purple Mountain. However, through a vicissitude of over 600 years, the single-eave hip roof of Dajin Gate was ruined long time ago. No trace of the vermeil gate can be found today. However, the foundation of Sumeru under the gate can be appreciated. The exquisite engraving workmanship of the artisans of the Ming Dynasty can be seen from the fluent corseted and engraved lines.
Sceneries along the way: While going to Sifang City by crossing Dajin Gate, you can see an “old passage” of a wooden trestle. Before the environmental improvement conducted in 2007, tourists must cross the road (covered with endless traffic) below to go to Sifang City by way of Dajin Gate. The construction of the wooden trestle not only makes it convenient for tourists to cross the gate, but also makes the Ming Tomb appear more complete.

The second stop: Sifang City (Stele Pavilion)
As the biggest stone stele in Nanjing, the Stele of Extolling the Merits and Virtue of the Ming Tomb was set up according to the order of Zhu Di to extol the merits and virtue of his father Zhu Yuanzhang. As the big roof of the stele pavilion was destroyed long ago, with only four walls and door-holes left, the stele looks like an ancient castle, so it is popularly called “Sifang (Square) City”. As one of the biggest stele pavilions existing in China, this square stele pavilion has a hemline length of 26.86 meters.
This stele was set up according to the order of Zhu Di, a son of Zhu Yuanzhang, in the 11th year during the reign of emperor Yongle (1413 AD), 15 years after the death of Zhu Yuanzhang. During the reign of Zhu Yuanzhang, he appointed his son Zhu Biao as his successor. However, Zhu Biao unfortunately died of illness in the 25th year of Hongwu (1392 AD) (“The Tomb of Prince Zhu Biao” is adjacent to “The Ming Tomb”, with the former serving as the attachment of the latter). Thereupon, Zhu Yuanzhang appointed Zhu Yunwen, a son of Zhu Biao aged 16, as his successor. After the death of Zhu Yuanzhang, Zhu Yunwen ascended the throne of emperor, with the title of his reign being “Jianwen”. Before long, Zhu Di, Zhu Yunwen’s uncle, rebelled in order to seize the throne of emperor. Under the flag of “eliminating insidious officials beside the emperor”, Zhu Di launched “the campaign of Jingnan”. After a war lasting for 4 years, Zhu Di seized the throne of emperor by marching toward the capital (Nanjing) from Beijing. Zhu Di was emperor Yongle famous in history. After having seized the royal power in an illicit way, Zhu Di selected stele material in Yangshan Mountain in Tangshan, and prepared to set up a stele to extol the merits and virtue of his father Zhu Yuanzhang, so as to appease and pacify civilians. This stele records the life experience of Zhu Yuanzhang and extols his doctrine of governance. It also records the names of 57 descendants of the royal family, with the exception of Zhu Yunwen (emperor Jianwen).

The third stop: Stone Elephant Road
In many publicity handbooks about picturesque sceneries of Nanjing, we can see the Stone Elephant Road lined with gingkoes with golden leaves. As the first section of the Passage Leading to the Ming Tomb, the Stone Elephant Road is 618 meters long, with six types of stone animals (12 pairs and 24 pieces) arranged in order from east to west. These six stone animals include lion, Xiezhi, camel, elephant, kylin and horse. These stone animals are divided into two groups, with one standing and the other squatting, opposite to each other from south to north. These stone animals were set up on the passage leading to the tomb, so as to commemorate the merits and virtue of Zhu Yuanzhang, make tomb-visitors feel the stateliness of the dead and the peace and prosperity of his country, as well as protect the tomb by dispelling evils. As said by some people, these stone animals guarded the imperial tomb in turn and they could squat to have a rest after fatigue from standing. This might be a sort of guess. However, from the aesthetic perspective of landscape, stone animals would appear more solemn and stately by assuming various poses (such as squatting and standing) under the setoff of the green mountain and distant trees.

The fourth stop: Wengzhong Road
At the end of the Stone Elephant Road, we can see the Passage Leading to the Tomb turning northeastward. At the turn stands a pair of ornamental columns, 6.25 meters high, engraved with patterns of clouds and dragons. On the right of the road, there is a small hill, called Plum Blossom Hill. Originally named Sunquan Tomb Hill, also called Tomb of the King of Wu, the hill was the site of the tomb of Sun Quan, the great emperor of Eastern Wu at the earliest time. Now there is a stele inscribed with “Tomb of Sun Quan”, having been designated as a provincial unit protected as cultural relics. On the hill, plums were planted in 1929. In early spring, these plums are in full blossoms, with their fragrance drifting into the nostrils of countless tourists. The hill has become one of resorts for appreciating plum flowers famous in China.
The Passage Leading to the Tomb detoured around the Plum Blossom Hill in the shape of the back of arch. According to a legend, when the Ming Tomb was built in those years, someone suggested the tomb of Sun Quan be moved away, but Zhu Yuanzhang said, “Sun Quan was a good fellow, he should be left behind to serve as my guard.” However, the true reason for the detour of the passage is that: According to a legend, to expand the length of the passage, enhance the vigor of the tomb, as well as prevent common folks from easily seeing through the “geomantic omen” of the tomb at the entrance, Zhu Yuanzhang ordered the passage to wind naturally according to the topography of the hill, instead of along a uniform middle axle extending from south to north. This was indeed a style innovated by Zhu Yuanzhang by breaking through the tradition. In the middle of Wengzhong Road, there are four pairs of stone people with a height of 3 meters each: two pairs of military officers and two pairs of civilian officials. With a history of over 600 years, all these cultural relics appear lifelike, having become a witness to the history as well as valuable and tangible objects for relevant research.
Sceneries along the road: At the end of the Passage Leading to the Tomb, the Lingxing Gate rebuilt in 2007 appears very eye-catching. It is also called Dragon and Phoenix Gate. The Ming Tomb is an imperial mausoleum to which the system of Lingxing Gate was applied at the earliest time (which can be still traced at present). It was from this that the system of Lingxing Gate of the Thirteen Tombs in Beijing originated.

The fifth station: The Area of Tomb Palace
In the Area of Tomb Palace beginning from the end of Wengzhong Road, tourists can visit the main buildings of the Ming Tomb. The main buildings at the back of the Ming Tomb include Civilian and Military Archway, Imperial Stele Pavilion, Sacrificial Hall, Square City, Ming Tower, Treasure Tower and Treasure Dome, all of which are arranged along the middle axle, thus embodying the traditional style of Chinese buildings: facing the south; symmetrical between the left and the right.