Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum

The Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum is the joint burial mausoleum of the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty Zhu Yuanzhang and his queen Ma. It is located at the southern foot of Purple Mountain in Nanjing. It is the largest imperial mausoleum in Nanjing and one of the largest imperial mausoleums in ancient China. As the first Ming tomb in China, the Ming Xiaoling Tomb is spectacular and magnificent. It represents the highest achievement of architecture and stone carving art in the early Ming Dynasty. It directly influenced the shape of imperial tombs in the Ming and Qing dynasties for more than 500 years. It has a special status in the development history of Chinese imperial tombs, so it is known as the "first royal mausoleum of the Ming and Qing Dynasties". It was selected into the World Cultural Heritage List in 2003. This book provides a comprehensive introduction to Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum from six aspects: the life of the tomb owner, mausoleum construction, architectural layout, funeral and guarding, worship and visiting the mausoleum, protection and management.