Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum

明孝陵

The mausoleum of the Ming founding emperor Zhu Yuanzhang. A World Heritage Site, its Spirit Way of 12 pairs of stone beasts and its autumn foliage make it Nanjing's most classic autumn scene.

Ming Xiaoling is the joint tomb of the Ming founding emperor Zhu Yuanzhang and Empress Ma. It lies on Dulong Mound at the southern foot of Purple Mountain and was built between 1381 and 1405. It pioneered the imperial mausoleum system of the Ming and Qing dynasties. In 2003 it was inscribed as a World Heritage Site as part of the extension 'Imperial Mausoleums of the Ming and Qing Dynasties'. The complex comprises the Dismount Archway, the Great Golden Gate, the Square City (Pavilion of the Stele of Divine Merit), the Spirit Way, the Gate of Civil and Military Officials, the Hall of Offerings, the Square City with Ming Tower, and the Treasure Mound. The Spirit Way has two sections. The Stone Elephant Road is 615 metres long, with 12 pairs of stone beasts in six kinds (lions, xiezhi, camels, elephants, qilin and horses) lining both sides. The Wengzhong Road has stone statues of civil and military officials.

Highlights: in November, the tallow trees, ginkgoes and zelkovas along the Stone Elephant Road turn red and gold. This is the symbol of Nanjing's autumn, known as 'the most beautiful 600 metres'. You can climb the Ming Tower of the Square City for a distant view. Beside the tomb, Plum Blossom Hill comes into bloom in February and March and is a plum-viewing spot included in the Ming Xiaoling ticket. There are also Zixia Lake, the Cherry Blossom Garden and the tomb of Sun Quan.

Admission is 70 yuan (60 yuan in some off-peak periods), including Plum Blossom Hill and the Stone Elephant Road. A combined Zhongshan Scenic Area ticket, which covers Linggu Temple, the music platform and more, costs about 100 yuan. Buy tickets through the official mini-program or scan the QR code on site.

Getting there: it is about a 15-minute walk from Muxuyuan station on Metro Line 2 to the Xiamafang or Stone Elephant Road entrance. Sightseeing shuttles run between here and the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum. It is recommended to visit Ming Xiaoling first (2–2.5 hours), then take the shuttle to the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum.

Note: the Stone Elephant Road is extremely crowded on autumn weekends, so go early on a weekday. The site is large, so wear comfortable shoes.

Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum

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