The East Mausoleum of the Qing
Dynasty is located at the foot of Changrui Mountain west of Malan Valley of
Zunhua County in Hebei Province.
The Eastern Mausoleum of the Qing Dynasty is
125 km to the west of Beijing. It is one of the royal mausoleums near Beijing
built after the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) unified the whole China. The Western
Mausoleum of the Qing Dynasty is at the foot of Yongning Mountain to the west of
Yixian County in Hebei Province, and is 120 km to the east of Beijing. The
Eastern Mausoleum extends from Malan Valley in the east to Huanghua Mountain in
the west, and from Wuling Mountain in the north to the two mountains of Tiantai
and Yandun in the south. The surrounding area of the mausoleum was used as the
fire path, 190 km in length and 20 zhang (1 zhang = 3.3m) in width. Along the fire
path, red stakes are set, and 20 zhang away from the red stakes stand
white stakes, 10 zhang
away from the white stakes are black stakes, and outside the black stakes there
is Guanshan Mountain with an circumference of 20 li (10 km). The area extends 125 km
south-north and 20 km east-west, covering 2,500 square kilometers.
Set off by acres of pine trees, altogether
15 imperial tombs fan out along the southern foot of Changrui Mountain, for 5
emperors, 15 empresses and 136 concubines. The systems and layouts of different
constructions in mausoleum are generally the same. Basically, the East Mausoleum of the Qing Dynasty followed the structural style of
that of the Xiaoling Mausoleum of Emperor Shunzhi, the first emperor of the Qing
Dynasty.
Among all the mausoleums inside the Shanhai
Pass, the Xiaoling Mausoleum is the grandest one. Entering from the dragon
doorway in the south side of the mausoleum, a sacred path of more than 10 km in
length and 12 meters in width leads to the tomb. The brick sacred path connects
the exquisite buildings on both sides. At the entrance stands a five-bay and
11-storeyed stone archway with 6 columns, and delicate and beautiful sculptures.
Going northward through the red door, there is a building in memory of merits
and virtues, which are 30 meters high with double eaves and 9 ridges. In each of
the four corners of the square outside the building stands an ornamental column.
On the other side of the screen wall there are 18 couples of stone statues, the
largest number among all imperial mausoleums of the Qing Dynasty. To the north,
passing the dragon and phoenix gate, one will see god path pavilions, stone
bridge, waiting room for officials, the room for people on duty, and kitchen.
Entering Behind the Long'en Gate, one will see the Long'en Hall, east and west
side halls, and so on, and finally see principal constructions like the treasure
city, the underground hall and so on..
Emperor Qianlong's Yuling Mausoleum is
located in Shengshui Valley in west of the Xiaoling Mausoleum. The underground
hall of the mausoleum is built of flagstones, and has an arch roof. It has three
halls in a rectangular plane. There are figures of Buddha, design and scriptures
in frescos on the four walls of each hall and roof. The scriptures are intaglio
in Sanskrit and Tibetan letters, totaling over 30,000 letters. The underground
hall of the Yuling Mausoleum is luxuriously decorated with superb
craftsmanship.
The most
exquisite construction on the ground in the East Mausoleum of the Qing Dynasty
is the Dingdong Mausoleum, which is the mausoleum of Dowager Empress Cixi. It
took six years and 2.27 million taels of silver to complete, but Cixi was not
satisfied with it. Then the Long'en Hall and the east and west side halls had
all been dismantled and reconstructed, and the project didn't finish until her
death. The inner fitment and engraving techniques of the structures in the Cixi
Mausoleum are superb, and unique among all the mausoleums of the Qing Dynasty.
The white marble balusters around the palace and the columns are all carved with
the patterns of dragons and phoenix, water waves and drifting clouds.