Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum

This tomb of Zhu Yuanzhang (1328-98), founder of Ming dynasty, is the model for Ming and Qing dynasty emperors in Beijing. Zhu Yuanzhang is the only Ming dynasty emperor to be buried in Nanjing. UNESCO recently funded its renovations and touchups and made the site a World Heritage Site. However, the tomb descriptions still remain only in Chinese. The tomb sits in the Ming Tower, a rectangular tower in the main part of the tomb. One of the other main buildings at the mausoleum, the Sacrificial Palace, was built in 1383 and houses memorial tablets.
Near the tomb, there a walkway half a kilometer long called Shixiang Lu and is filled with stone carvings of animals and soldiers. The walkway leads to the Four Square Pavilion, which hold a tall stone tablet from 1413. The 2,000 characters on the tablet tell the life story of emperor ZhYuanzhang and were written by his son Zhu Di.
There is a Dismounting Archway at the entrance to the mausoleum where visitors in the old days will dismount from their houses or cars to show respect. This historic site is a lot quieter than Sun Yatsen's Mausoleum with a lot less tourists.

Recommand Tours:
3 Days Nanjing Discovery Tour
2 Days Nanjing Standard Tour