The Ming Imperial Tombs

The Ming Imperial Tombs are located 7 kilometers south of Fengyang County in Anhui Province. They were built by Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, for his parents and elder brother and sister-in-law. The construction originally covered an area of about 20,000 mu and began in the 26th year of the Zhi Zheng era of the Yuan Dynasty (1366 AD), and was completed in the 12th year of the Hongwu era (1379 AD). In the second year of the Hongwu era, it was named Ying Tomb, and later renamed the Imperial Tomb. The Imperial Tomb is the earliest tomb constructed during the Ming Dynasty. The Ming Imperial Tombs, along with the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum in Nanjing and the Ming Tombs in Beijing, follow the same system. Although the Ming Imperial Tombs are not the tombs of emperors, they are characterized by 'majestic palaces and solemn grandeur', with hundreds of halls, fasting palaces, and official chambers. The Sacred Way of the Imperial Tomb is 257 meters in total length, with 32 pairs of stone statues. The inscription on the Imperial Tomb, 'The Stele of the Great Ming Imperial Tomb', was personally written by Zhu Yuanzhang. The number of stone statues and the exquisite craftsmanship are unparalleled among the tombs of emperors from past dynasties. Their artistic style is exquisite, considered a masterpiece of large-scale stone carving art that inherits from the Song and Yuan dynasties and leads into the Ming and Qing dynasties. Ming Imperial Tombs