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The Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, where Emperor Ming Taizu (respected title of
Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang) and his queen were buried, lies at the northern foot of
Mount Zijin (Mount Purple Gold), adjacent to Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum on the
east and Meihua (Chinese Plum) Mountain on the south.
With a more than
22.5 kilometers wall, the mausoleum is the largest emperor mausoleum in Nanjing.
Most of its ground wood-structured buildings were destroyed in 1853, with the
brick and stone buildings still existent including Rectangular city, Inner Red
Gate and Jinyue Tablet.
The sacred way started from Sifangchang (Rectangular city) which was a
pavilion where a splendid carved stone stele for memory of Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang
was enshrined, on which hymn by his fourth son was inscribed. Now, the top of
the pavilion was gone. In the middle of the 1800-meter-long winding sacred way,
there are 6 kinds and 12 pairs of animals guarding the tomb.
Further
beyond is a pair of decorative columns called Huabiao in Chinese. Four couples
of ministers and generals have been standing there for centuries to accompany
their His Majesty beneath.
On an inscribed stone tablet outside of the gate of the mausoleum, an
official notification of the local government in the Qing dynasty (1644-1911)
ordered to protect the tomb. Inside of the gate, there is a pavilion in which 5
steles stand. The one in the middle was inscribed with 4 Chinese characters,
which was written by Emperor Kangxi in his third inspection tour. Behind the
pavilion, there used to be other annexes, however most of them collapsed into
relics from which the original splendor can still be traced.
On the south of Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum is the Meihua (Plum Flower) Mountain,
which was formerly the tomb of Sun Quan, emperor of Dongwu. The mountain is
covered with more than 10,000 plum flowers and it is always one of most
attractive resorts for Nanjing visitors who appreciate the flowers in spring.
Its scenic spots include the Plum Appreciation Pavilion and BoˇŻai (Extensive
Love) Pavilion. | 
