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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.
(Source: chinaculture.org)
