TheMingTombs

明十三陵 The Ming Tombs

明十三陵是中国明朝皇帝Located at the foot of Tianshou

的墓葬群，坐落在北京西

北郊昌平区境内燕山山麓District and about 50 kilometers

的天寿山。总面积一百二from its urban area, the Thirteen

十余平方公里，距离北京Ming Tombs are a tomb cluster of

约五十公里。十三陵地处thirteen Ming emperors. Covering

东、西、北三面环山的小an area of more than 120 square

盆地之中，陵区周围群山kilometers, the Ming Tombs were

环抱，中部为平原，陵前built in a small, flat basin

有小河曲折蜿蜒，山明水surrounded by mountains in the

秀，景色宜人。 east, west and north, offering a

Mountains in Beijing’s Changping

beautiful landscape of green hills

and clear, meandering waters.

Construction of Changling, the 这里自永乐七年（1409）

first tomb of the complex, began 五月始作长陵，到明朝最

in 1409, or the venth year of 后一帝崇祯葬入思陵止，

Emperor Chengzu (also known as 其间230多年，先后修建

Yongle), and ended with that of 了十三座皇帝陵墓、七座

Chongzhen, the last emperor of 妃子墓、一座太监墓。共

the dynasty, who was buried in 埋葬了十三位皇帝、二十

Siling. In the cour of the 230 三位皇后、二位太子、三

years thirteen mausoleums were 十余名妃嫔、一位太监。

built for the emperors, 7 for the

emperors’ concubines and 1 for a

eunuch. Altogether, the Ming

Tombs hou 13 emperors, 2

crown princes, more than 30

imperial concubines and 1

eunuch.

Although each of the thirteen 十三座皇陵均依山而筑，

mausoleums was built at the foot 分别建在东、西、北三面

of a small hill standing in the east, 的山麓上，形成了体系完

west and north respectively, they 整、规模宏大、气势磅礴

are similar in their architectural 的陵寝建筑群。明代术士

style and overall arrangement and 认为，这里是“风水”胜

thus form a unified whole. The 境，绝佳“吉壤”，因此被

sheer scale of the complex is 明朝选为营建皇陵的“万

overwhelming, making it one of 年寿域”。

the most spectacular mausoleums

in the world. The site was lected

for building imperial graves

becau fengshui masters of the

Ming Dynasty regarded the valley

as a place blesd with a

geomantic omen, believing it was

an ideal location capable of

bringing eternity to the decead

emperors.

该陵园建于1409～1644Construction of the tombs began

年，距今已有300～500多in 1409 and ended in 1644,

年历史。陵区占地面积达making the first of them over 500

40平方公里，是中国乃至years old and the last 300 years

世界现存规模最大、帝后old. The tombs occupy a total area

陵寝最多的一处皇陵建筑of 40 square kilometers, the

群。 largest and most complex burial

grounds of imperial families in

China as well as in the world.

A tomb cluster of the Ming 明十三陵是明朝迁都北京

Dynasty after it moved its capital 后13位皇帝陵墓的皇家

city to Beijing, the Ming Tombs 陵寝的总称，依次建有长

are a cemetery made up of 13 陵（成祖）、献陵（仁宗）、

parate mausoleums, each for an 景陵（宣宗）、裕陵（英宗）、

emperor who ruled over China, 茂陵（宪宗）、泰陵（孝宗）、

and thus are also known as The 康陵（武宗）、永陵（世宗）、

Thirteen Ming Tombs. The 昭陵（穆宗）、定陵（神宗）、

mausoleums here include, among 庆陵（光宗）、德陵（熹宗）、

the most famous, Changling (for 思陵（思宗），故称十三陵。

Emperor Chengzu), Dingling (for 景区已开放景点有长陵、

Emperor Shenzong) and Zhaoling 定陵、昭陵、神路。

(for Emperor Muzong). Together

with the Sacred Path, the

mausoleums have been made

accessible to visitors.

Compared to imperial 明十三陵是中国历代帝王

mausoleums in other places of 陵寝建筑中保存得比较好

China, the Ming Tombs are 的一处。中华人民共和国

well-prerved and therefore 成立后，政府为了保护这

remain in good condition today. 一文物古迹，从解放初期

Soon after the People’s Republic 就开始进行维修，并将十

of China was born, restoration 三陵作为全国重点文物加

was launched over the tombs. The 以保护。1957年，北京市

authorities also made the site a 政府公布十三陵为北京市

key cultural relic for better 第一批重点古建文物保护

protection. The complex was 单位。1961年，十三陵被

entered in the 1957 list of 公布为全国重点文物保护

单位。1982年，国务院公Beijing’s first key architectural

布八达岭-十三陵风景区and cultural relics and the 1963

为全国44个重点风景名national list later. Then in 1982

胜保护区之一。1991年，and together with the Badaling

十三陵被国家旅游局确定Great Wall, it was made one of

为“中国旅游胜地四十the 44 key tourist attractions for

佳”之一。1992年，十三protection by the State Council. In

陵被北京旅游世界之最评1991, the National Tourism

选委员会评为“是世界上Bureau named the Ming Tombs

保存完整埋葬皇帝最多的one of ‘China’s 40 best tourist

墓葬群。” attractions’. A year later, Beijing’s

Commission for World’s Top

Tourist Destinations noted that the

Tombs were the world’s ‘best

prerved tomb complex housing

the biggest number of emperors’.

Changling 长陵

Built in 1413, or the 11 year of 长陵建成于明永乐十一年

th

Emperor Yongle, Changling is the （1413年），是明朝第三

mausoleum where Zhu Di, the 帝朱棣的陵墓，也是十三

third emperor of the Ming 陵中最早和最大的一座。

Dynasty, was buried. Standing 高耸的明楼，是长陵的标

apart from other mausoleums in 志。

the area with a soaring Soul

Tower, Changling is also the first

and the largest in the complex.

As the first constructed among the 明长陵是十三陵之首，处

13 mausoleums, Changling is 在正中位置。长陵是永乐

situated right in the centre of the 皇帝朱棣和皇后徐氏的合

complex. This is the burying 葬墓。朱棣在完成紫禁城

grounds for Emperor Yongle (Zhu （故宫）建造后的第三年

Di) and Empress Xu, his wife. 开始建造自己的陵墓。陵

Three years after he had the 园规模宏大，用料严格考

Forbidden City built, Zhu Di 究，施工精细，工程浩繁，

launched the work on his own 营建时日旷久，仅地下宫

mausoleum, a project of immen 殿就历时四年。

scale and grandeur using carefully

lected materials and following

meticulous procedures. The

construction of Changling was

both enormous and elaborate,

taking many years to finish. The

Underground Palace, for instance,

took four years to complete.

长陵的陵宫建筑，占地约Changling covers a total area of

12万平方米。其平面布局120,000 square metres.

呈前方后圆形状。其前面Structurally it is rectangular in the

的方形部分，由前后相连front and round in the back. The

的三进院落组成。 rectangular part is formed by

three courtyards connected by a

long passage.

In the first courtyard stands the 第一层院落门为宫门，单

Palace Gate, a building with a 檐歇山顶宫门式建筑，门

single eave and a nine-ridge roof. 内明朝时东建有神厨，西

Behind the Gate there ud to be a 建有神库，神厨前有碑亭

Sacred Kitchen on the east and a 一座，神厨、神库均毁于

Sacred Warehou on the west 清朝，仅碑亭尚存。

during the Ming Dynasty. Both,

however, were demolished during

the Qing Dynasty, leaving a Stele

Pavilion standing alone in the

courtyard.

Inside the Pavilion stands a tall 亭内有明朝嘉靖年间立的

stele, put up during the reign of 大石碑一座，原本是没有

the Ming Dynasty’s Emperor 字的。清顺治皇帝谒陵时，

Jiajing. When the tablet was 在石碑的正面用汉、满两

erected, both sides were blank. 种文字镌刻上了他的谒陵

Emperor Shunzhi of the Qing 感受。顺治的曾孙乾隆皇

Dynasty, however, had the tablet 帝又于1785年谒陵后在

inscribed with a text in both 碑的背面写上《谒明陵八

Chine and Manchurian 韵》，无字碑变成了今日的

describing how he felt on his visit 有字碑。

to the mausoleum. In 1785,

Emperor Qianlong, his

great-grandson followed suit by

putting one of his poems on the

back of the stele.

The cond courtyard is entered 第二进院落，前面设殿门

by the Gate of Prominent Favour. 一座，名为祾恩门，为单

A structure with a single eve and 檐歇山顶形制，面阔五间

a nine-ridge roof, the Gate is over (通阔31.44米)、进深二

31 metres long and more than 14 间(通深14.37米)，正脊

metres wide, its main ridge 顶部距地面高14.57米。

soaring nearly 15 metres high 门下承以汉白玉栏杆围绕

above ground. Supporting the 的须弥座式台基。台基前

Gate is a Kingkong pedestal, 后则各设有三出台阶，其

rectangular in shape, itlf fenced 中路台阶间的御路石上雕

in by marble railings. The 刻有双龙云海戏珠浅浮雕

图案，十分精美壮观。 pedestal can be reached from two

sides by three staircas. Among

the staircas the one in the

middle is the broadest, parated

by a huge stone ramp in the centre

that bears a bas-relief of two

dragons sporting in clouds and

chasing a pearl. The pattern on the

ramp is quite beautiful as well as

spectacular.

Metres beyond and standing 过了祾恩门就是祾恩殿，

aligned with the Gate of 面阔九间进深五间，重檐

Prominent Favour is the Hall of 庑殿顶。长陵祾恩殿是明

Prominent Favour, a building over 代帝王陵唯一保存完整的

56 metres long and nearly 36 祾恩殿。殿的内外全部用

metres wide with a double eave 名贵的金丝楠木制成。殿

and a five-ridge roof. Of all the 内有60根金丝楠木柱，4

Halls of Prominent Favour at 根主柱的直径在l米以

Ming’s imperial mausoleums, 上，是我国保存最好的楠

only this one at Changling 木殿，十分珍贵，虽然历

remains in excellent condition. 时500多年，却仍然牢固

Every part of the Hall is built with 如初。像这样宏伟的楠木

rare nanmu, with 60 pillars of 建筑物，在我国是绝无仅

such fine hard wood supporting 有的，是我国古代木结构

its interior and each of the 4 main 建筑中的珍贵遗物，它与

pillars as thick as 1 metre. As 北京故宫内的太和殿、曲

China’s best prerved nanmu 阜孔庙中的大成殿并称中

structure, the Hall still looks as 国三大殿。

solid as it was 500 years ago

when it was constructed.

Unparalleled in its grandeur

among buildings of similar

material, the Hall is also an

invaluable reprentative of

ancient wooden structures in

China. Together with the Hall of

Supreme Harmony in the

Forbidden City and the Great

Success Hall of the Confucius

Temple in Qufu, the Hall of

Prominent Favour at Changling is

called one of the Three Greatest

Halls of China.

During the Ming Dynasty the Hall 祾恩殿是供奉帝后神牌位

和举行祭祀活动的地方。of Prominent Favour rved as an

每年的三大祭、四小祭就altar for decead emperors and

是在这里举行的。【三大祭empress; it was where the

是在农历的清明、中元（七imperial families offered

月十五日）和冬至；四小sacrifices to their ancestors ven

祭是在正旦（正月初一）、times each year, three of which

孟冬（十月初一）、圣节（已were more important and took

逝皇帝的生日）、忌辰（皇place on Qingming, Zhongyuan

帝的逝日）举行】每到祭(the 15 day of the 7 lunar

日，不是皇帝御驾亲临，month) and the winter solstice

就是派大臣专程前往。 while the rest happened on the

thth

lunar New Year’s Day, the 1 of

st

the 10 lunar month, the Sacred

th

Day (the birthday of the late

emperor) as well as the death

anniversary of the late emperor.

On the ceremonial days every

living emperor would participate

either in person or nd a minister

on behalf of him.

The third courtyard is entered by 第三层院落门为陵门，门

the Tomb Gate, behind which 内有两柱牌楼门（叫二柱

stands an archway supported by 门），院内的正中有一座石

two pillars (thus the name 台，上面象征性地放着石

‘Bi-pillar Gate’). In the middle of

the courtyard stands a stone table 旁是一对香瓶和一对烛

with a t of ornamental altar 台，叫石五供。

pieces that include an incen

burner, two beakers and two

candlesticks, all of them made of

stone and therefore called ‘five

stone offerings’.

At the back of Changling is a “前方后圆”的“后圆”

round-shaped area formed by the 由宝城，宝山，方城，明

Sacred Wall, the Sacred Hill, the 楼组成。

Square Pedestal and the Soul

Tower.

Encircled by the Sacred Wall and

rembling a fortress is the Sacred

Hill. The latter is in fact a huge

mound underneath which lies the

Underground Palace. Facing the

Sacred Wall in the south stands

the Square Pedestal which

质供器，中间是香炉，两

宝城状如圆形城堡，宝城

围起来的土山是宝山，宝

山下为玄宫。宝城正前方

建方城，方城之上为重檐

歇山顶明楼。明楼是每座

陵墓的标志，也是每座陵

墓轴线上的最高建筑。

supports the Soul Tower, a

building with double eaves and a

nine-ridge roof. As the symbol of

a mausoleum, the Soul Tower is

naturally the tallest building on

the central axis that runs through

the complex.

宝城从外观上看，就像一With the Sacred Wall the place

座封闭的城堡。正中是圆looks more like an enclod

形的宝顶，就是我们俗话fortress. However, if we go inside

说的“坟头”。宝顶的下and e the large mound in the

面就是埋葬帝后尸骨的地centre of the place we may realize

下宫殿。长陵的地下宫殿it is actually a typical tomb, for

目前还没有发掘。 underneath is an underground

palace where the emperors and

empress were buried. So far the

Underground Palace at Changling

has not been excavated.