Changling Tomb

Changling is the tomb of the 3rd Ming Emperor Zhu Di. It is the largest tomb in the Ming Tomb area, and the best-preserved one among the thirteen tombs.

Emperor Zhu Di is the 3rd emperor of the Ming Dynasty and his reign title is Yongle. He came to the throne in 1402, and died in 1424. When he came to the throne he was 43 years old already. He ruled China for a total of 22 years and died at the age of 65. During his reign, the most outstanding achievements made by him were: Yongle’s Encyclopedia and sending Zheng He to trade with the West.

Since Empress Xu died in 1407, the construction of Changling started in 1409. It took 18 years to build his tomb and it was completed in 1427. But it took only 4 years to get the underground tomb completed by 1413, so Empress Xu was buried here first.

The Hall of Eminent Favor

The Hall of Eminent Favor was the place where the sacrificial ceremonies for the emperor’s ancestors were held. In the old days, there used to be a memorial tablet with the deceased emperor’s name carved on it, placed in a shrine. Now in the center of the hall, there is a bronze statue of Emperor Zhu Di placed inside the hall. The Hall of Eminent Favor is a famous Nanmu building in China. Nanmu is a special kind of wood coming from the mountains in the southern part of China. Each Nanmu pillar is made of a single tree trunk. The huge Nanmu wood pillars inside the hall are 12.58 meters high and the 4 pillars in the center are 14.3 meters high each and 1.17 meters in diameter. Actually, all the pillars, the beams, brackets and window frames are made of precious Nanmu wood but with nothing painted on them, just to maintain their natural color.

Today, this hall is an exhibition hall of the historical relics unearthed from Dingling.

Soul Tower

The Soul Tower is always built in front of the earth mound. It served as a mark of each tomb .The big stone tablet erected inside the tower, inscribed with the words “Tomb of Emperor Wen, Chengzu of Great Ming”.

There are five stone altarpieces placed in front of the Soul Tower. The five stone altarpieces consist of an incense burner in the middle, a pair of candlesticks and a pair of flower vases on both sides.

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