Shengjing or Mukden was the land from where the Qing Dynasty emerged. Three mausoleums were built for the founding emperors of the Qing Dynasty (Nurhaci, Huangtaiji, and their ancestors): Yongling Mausoleum, Fuling Mausoleum, and Zhaoling Mausoleum, together known as Three Imperial Mausoleums in Shengjing. They are also known as the Three Imperial Mausoleums outside Shanhaiguan. Unlike the East Imperial Mausoleum and the West Imperial Mausoleum inside Shanhaiguan, the Three Imperial Mausoleums in Shengjing were built when the Qing Dynasty had not yet conquered the Shanhaiguan and its territory was still limited to the Liaoning-Shenyang area and when laws and rituals were all newly established. Despite their smaller scale, in comparison with the East and the West Imperial Mausoleums inside Shanhaiguan, the Three Imperial Mausoleums in Shengjing combine the construction of castles with that of mausoleums, displaying a perfect integration of Manchu, Mongolian, Tibetan, and Han Chinese cultures.
Yongling Mausoleum is located in Xinbin County, Liaoning Province. It was first built in the late Ming Dynasty and expanded several times since the reign of Emperor Kangxi during the Qing Dynasty. This is the burial place for Nurhaci, his father Taksi, his uncles, his grandfather, Giocangga, his great-grandfather, and his great-great-grandfather. Yongling Mausoleum is the smallest of the three yet it has the longest history and is the best preserved.
This mausoleum complex has the most prominent features of Manchu culture. The owners of the tombs were not emperors when they were alive, as the imperial titles and imperial mausoleum status were posthumously awarded by the Qing Imperial Court. As a result, there were no square castles or underground palaces in Yongling Mausoleum. Nevertheless, it has a unique natural environment and architectural style. Yongling Mausoleum is surrounded by hills on four sides with Yancong Hill in front, Qiyun Hill behind, Jiming (Crowing Rooster) Hill in the southeast, and Fenghuangling (Phoenix Hill) in the southwest. It is also flanked by a number of rivers: the Suzi River in the south, the Caocang River in the east, the Yueyapao River in the west, plus the Wudao, Majigou, Zhaoyanggou, Erdao, and Jiaha Rivers on the upper stream of the Suzi River. This is an ideal feng-shui environment for building the mausoleum. Yongling implies "perpetual security of the throne." By so naming the mausoleum the Qing emperors hoped that their ancestors' spirits would bless the Qing Dynasty, enabling it to last forever.
Fuling Mausoleum is the burial place of Nurhaci, the founder of the Qing Dynasty, and his empress, Yehenala. It sits against Mount Tianzhu in the eastern suburb of Shenyang and faces the Hunhe River. It has been designed in such a way that the terrain rises gradually from south to north. The mausoleum was built in 1629 and was officially named Fuling Mausoleum in 1636. It was expanded during the reign of Emperor Kangxi and Emperor Qianlong. It has a square castle and underground palaces. One defining feature of the mausoleum lies in a brick stairway of 108 steps built
Along the hill, symbolizing the 36 Heavenly Spirits and 72 Earthly Fiends. Fuling Mausoleum was designed in full compliance with ancient Chinese feng-shui. The site selection and planning aimed at achieving a harmony between the natural environment and the mausoleum. Fuling Mausoleum was a major site for the imperial family to conduct veneration rituals during the Qing Dynasty.
Zhaoling Mausoleum is the resting place of Emperor Huangtaiji and his empress, Xiaoduanwen, located north of Laocheng in Shenyang. It is also known as the Northern Mausoleum. As the largest of the three imperial mausoleums, it has a well-preserved crematorium system. The architecture and decoration of Zhaoling Mausoleum also stands above the other two imperial mausoleums in Shengjing. The construction of Zhaoling Mausoleum began in 1643 and was basically completed in 1651. It was later expanded and reconstructed during the reigns of Emperors Kangxi, Qianlong, and Jiaqing, eventually forming a unique mausoleum complex. Zhaoling Mausoleum was built on flat ground. Due to the fact that most imperial mausoleums were constructed on sites backing onto mountains and facing water, a man-made hill was constructed behind the mausoleums, which was later named Longye Hill by the emperor. An abundance of pine trees and cedar trees were planted on the hill, making it comparable to Qiyun Hill and Tianzhu Hill. An artificial lake was also dug.
As an excellent example of the mausoleum culture of the early Qing Dynasty, the Three Imperial Mausoleums in Shengjing are a perfect epitome of the political, economic, cultural, and artistic achievements of the Qing Dynasty.
YONGLING MAUSOLEUM
Yongling Mausoleum complex consists of four tombs of Nurhaci's ancestors and two subordinate tombs occupying an area of 1.137 hectares. With hills behind and water in front, Yongling is fully integrated with nature. Entering from the front gate in the south, people are greeted by four tablet pavilions. The front gate of the Square Castle, north of the four pavilions, is called Qiyun Gate and has left - and right-wing walls embedded with decorative, color-glazed, and coiled dragons. Qiyun Hall stands at the center of the Square Castle, supported by side halls on the east and west sides. A Joss Silk Burning Pavilion stands in front of the West Side Hall. The six tombs are arranged into a circle from east to west. Yongling was simple and crude when first built, but became more complex through reconstruction and expansion during the reigns of Emperors Shunzhi and Kangxi.
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Layout of Yongling Mausoleum
Source: Shengjing Gazette (1784) version: Carved copy size: 31 x 39 cm
Qiyun Hill is where Yongling Mausoleum was built. "Qiyun" is a title conferred by the emperor, meaning defining a grand ambition and working toward imperial accomplishments. Qiyun Hill was regarded as the Qing Dynasty's sacred and mysterious land of emergence.
Qiyun Hill
Date: Early 20th century
Photographer: Li Shuchun
Source: Xingjing County Annals (1936)
World History
