Mingzu Mausoleum

Mingzu Mausoleum is located at the mouth of the Huai River where it flows into Hongze Lake. It is th[...]

Mingzu Mausoleum is located at the mouth of the Huai River where it flows into Hongze Lake. It is the cenotaph for the clothing and hats of Zhu Yuanzhang’s grandfather, great-grandfather, and great-great-grandfather of the Ming Dynasty. Zhu Yuanzhang was born in Xuyi and grew up in Fengyang. He constructed the ancestral mausoleum in the 19th year of Hongwu (1386 AD) and completed it in the 11th year of Yongle (1413 AD).
The Ming Dynasty’s giant stone sculptures in the mausoleum are a highlight, with crisscrossing waterways throughout the garden, and birds occasionally seen in the sky. Compared to the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum in Nanjing, it seems to have more spirit. Upon entering the spirit path of Mingzu Mausoleum, there are stone animals, stone figures, and stone pillars on both sides, totaling 21 pairs, which are tall and powerful, exquisitely carved. Because the spirit path of Mingzu Mausoleum is relatively short, these stone statues are closely arranged, giving a very shocking impression and can be regarded as one of the more exquisite stone carvings in the mausoleums of the Ming Dynasty.
After the Yellow River captured the Huai River, Mingzu Mausoleum was submerged by water, and the wooden structures have disappeared, but the stone statues have been preserved to this day, which can be considered fortunate. To the north of the stone carving group is the site of the Lingxing Gate and the main hall. There are 28 stone bases at the site of the main hall, which can imagine the grand scale of the main hall. The joint burial place of Zhu Yuanzhang’s great-great-grandfather, great-grandfather, and grandfather is called Xuan Palace, which is submerged underwater and can only be seen from the semicircular pool edge. With the recent decline in the water level of Hongze Lake, the upper part of the brick archway can now be seen.
Since the interval between buses to and from Mingzu Mausoleum is quite long, visitors can spend their waiting time by looking at the sculptures of Ming Dynasty emperors and generals on the highway in front of the mausoleum. The opening time is all year round from 08:30 to 17:00.