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Zhongdu Imperial City of Ming and Stone Tablets in Imperial Mausoleum

Zhongdu City of Ming is located at the southern piedmont of Fenghuang Mountain in the northwest of Fengyang County, Anhui Province.

After Zhu Yuanzhang, Emperor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), ascended to the throne, he established the capital in Nanjing, and took Linhao (today's Fengyang) as the Zhongdu (middle capital). Zhongdu City was built in the 2nd year (1369) of the Hongwu reign till the 8th year of the Hongwu reign. Due to a short time of construction, the city had not become the political center, but some of the city planning concepts including the palace arrangement had great influence on the city planning of Beijing.

Zhongdu City was divided into the outer city, the middle city and the inner city. With a perimeter of 25 kilometers, the outer city has been destroyed. The middle city was the imperial palace, with a perimeter of 6.5 kilometers. The inner city had a perimeter of 3 kilometers, with its walls about 9.5 meters high. Only the Wumen Gate and a section of walls from the Xihua Gate to the northwest corner are well preserved. The Wumen Gate was the central gate of the inner city. The gate had three arch gateways, with each 5.1 meters wide and 8 meters high. The building constructed above the gate has been destroyed.

At the bottom of the city walls on both sides of the Wumen Gate, the three arch gates and the two wing-buildings was a white stone base of 480 meters long and 160 centimeters high. The base was carved with relief of animal and other decorative patterns, including figures of dragon, phoenix, kylin, peony, lotus, and emblem. The base was finely carved and built into various vivid figures.

Many places in Zhongdu City had carved bricks, such as flying dragon, phoenix, and wave-shaped patterns carved along the streets and on the Donghua Gate, the Xihua Gate, and the Xuanwu Gate. Stone railings and columns built in the palace were also carved with relief and decorative patterns such as flying dragon, dancing phoenix and twisted dragon in clouds.

The Zhongdu City of Ming was one of the most splendid constructions in ancient China. It inherited the artistic tradition of the Song and Yuan period, and created a new style of Ming and Qing period, occupying an important position in the development history of ancient city construction in China.

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