Categories
Nanjing Attractions

Ming Tomb

Ming Tomb is the mausoleum of Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang and Queen Ma in the Zhongshan Scenic Area. The magnificent tomb represents the achievements of architecture and stone carving art in the early Ming Dynasty. It also directly influenced the shape of the Ming and Qing emperors’ tombs.

The overall layout of the tomb area is divided into two parts, one is the winding mausoleum road, and the other is the main building of the tomb, which is the burial site of Zhu Yuanzhang. The main building of Ming Tomb’s bedroom includes Wenwu Fangmen (namely the main entrance), Xiangdian, Fangcheng, Minglou, and Baoding (namely Chongqiu), which are all arranged according to the traditional central axis and built with walls. Ming Tomb’s mausoleum layout design and Fangcheng Minglou, Baocheng Baoding and other architectural forms created a precedent for the construction of the Ming and Qing emperors’ mausoleums in China, and was hailed as a milestone in the history of the development of Chinese imperial tombs.

The mausoleum road is 2400 meters long, with deep twists and turns, which changes the straight pattern of the traditional Chinese imperial tombs. And the mausoleum road is divided into two sections: Shixiang Road and Wengzhong Road. The stone sculptures on both sides are a highlight. There are 12 pairs of tall stone beasts and 2 pairs of civil officials and military generals. The stone carvings are chiseled from a single piece of stone, with simple shapes, clear patterns and exquisite craftsmanship. In autumn, the ginkgo and red maple here are very charming, attracting a large number of tourists who love photography.

Xiangdian is also called Xiaoling Hall. It was originally the place where Zhu Yuanzhang and Empress Ma were dedicated to the gods. The original hall has been destroyed. Now it is the Ming Tomb historical materials showroom. Fangcheng is a huge building in front of Xiaoling Baoding. The exterior is built with large stones and the bottom is Sumeru seat. The Ming Tower is above Fangcheng. The original yellow-tile roof was destroyed and later repaired. Follow the trails on the left and right sides of Fangcheng to reach Ming Tower. To the north of Fangcheng is Baoding, which is also known as Baocheng, and it is about 400 meters long and is the residence of Zhu Yuanzhang and Queen Ma’s palace. Enter through the arch in the middle of the Fangcheng, you will find there is a circular arch tunnel inside. Climb 54 steps to get out of the tunnel, then outside is the southern wall of Baoding. Below Baoding is the underground palace of Zhu Yuanzhang’s tomb. No excavation was carried out.

Ming Tomb is a very nice place. The stone elephant road inside is very beautiful, especially if you go there in autumn, you can see the captivating fallen leaves. It is very worth visiting.

Categories
Qinghai Attractions

Qinghai Provincial Museum

Qinghai Provincial Museum is located at Xinning Square in Xining City. Although it is not a large provincial museum, it is also a good place to learn about Qinghai’s history and cultures of various ethnic groups. In addition, there are exhibition explanations on Tibetan Buddhism and Islamic cultural systems in the museum, which is very helpful for later travel around Qinghai.

The museum mainly has two floors, but the first floor is now rented by some units, and there are also shops selling handicrafts and other souvenirs. Occasionally there will be temporary exhibitions on the first floor, so you can visit them if you encounter them. The permanent exhibition area is located on the second floor and is mainly divided into two parts, namely the Qinghai Historical and Cultural Relics Exhibition and the Qinghai Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition. It takes about one and a half hours to stroll through the two exhibition halls.

The Qinghai Historical and Cultural Relics Exhibition is a chronological exhibition of the history of Qinghai. Follow the indicated passage to visit, and you can see the historical relics of Qinghai from ancient times to the present. The exhibition is divided into two parts: prehistoric civilization and historical relics. The Zhasak silver seal of the Qing Dynasty and the largest bronze weapon unearthed in China-the bronze spear are all treasures in the collection. There are also many quiet and beautiful potteries from the Majiayao culture in the northwest. You can learn about the story behind them according to the instructions.

The Qinghai Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition showcases the culture and customs of many ethnic groups in Qinghai. There are many models, sand tables, etc. that show Qinghai’s many festivals, etiquette, singing and dancing and other arts and culture. In addition, there are many cultural relics of Tibetan Buddhism in the museum, such as thangka, mandala, etc. Among them, the gilt bronze statue of Guanyin gifted by Emperor Yongle in the Ming Dynasty is the treasure of the entire museum. You can learn about it.

In Qinghai Provincial Museum, you can learn about the connotation and art of Tibetan Buddhism, and it can also offer help for your travel to other religious sites.