Xuyi Mingzuling Tourism Guide

Scenic spot introduction:

The Xuyi Mingzu Mausoleum is the cenotaph of Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang’s great-grandfather, great-great-grandfather, grandfather, and the actual burial place of his grandfather. It is known as the "No. 1 Mausoleum of the Ming Dynasty."

Attractions distribution:

The Ming Ancestral Mausoleum is located on the west bank of Hongze Lake in Xuyi County, Jiangsu Province. After Zhu Yuanzhang unified the country, he honored his great-grandfather Zhu Bailiu as Emperor Xuan, his great-grandfather Zhu Sijiu as Emperor Heng, and his grandfather Zhu Chuyi as Emperor Yu. In the 19th year of Hongwu (1386 AD), the Ancestral Mausoleum was built. The following year, the Hall of Worship was built in front of the mausoleum. In the 11th year of Yongle (1413 AD), Zhu Di built the Lingxing Gate and the wall, and the Ancestral Mausoleum was completed. The Ancestral Mausoleum originally had a palace, a golden gate, a jade bridge, a kitchen, a well pavilion, a slaughterhouse, a worship hall, a house for staying, a shop, a stele pavilion, and ceremonial attendants. Ten thousand cypress trees were planted. The sacred road is more than 250 meters long. There are two pairs of lookout posts on both sides, 19 pairs of stone statues, and 149 hectares of sacrificial fields. It is large in scale and magnificent. Today, due to long-term erosion and impact by lake water, only the Lingxing Gate, the main hall, the ruins of the east and west wings, and more than 30 large column bases and three brick-built vaulted buildings remain of the Ming Zuling Mausoleum, but most of the 21 pairs of stone statues on both sides of the sacred way are intact.
On May 20, 2011, the water level of Hongze Lake dropped, causing the outer city wall of the Ming Ancestral Mausoleum to emerge from the water. Later, in order to protect the cultural relics (imperial edicts, clothing and various funerary objects) under the underground palace corridors and arches, the local government urgently dispatched water from the Huaihe River to inject water into it, so that it returned to the water.

Scenic spot features:

Photography, sightseeing, leisure, vacation, historical tour, cultural tour, mausoleum