Date: Early 20th century photographer: Naitou Torajirou
Source: a Supplement to the Collection of Manchuria Photographs (Kobayashi Photoengraving Publishing Department, 1935)
A stone stele stands at the center of Daming Pavilion, with its top covered by a dragon head sculpture inscribed with the Chinese characters "Da Qing" (literally "Great Qing"). The stele's main body is inscribed, "The Mausoleum of Emperor Taizu" in Manchu, Mongolian, and Chinese.
Treasure Dome in the Treasure City of Ruling Mausoleum
Date: Early 20th century photographer: Naitou Torajirou source: a Supplement to the Collection of Manchuria Photographs (Kobayashi Photoengraving Publishing Department, 1935)
The Treasure City is built with blue brick in the shape of a three-quarter circle. At its center stands a large, high dome known as the Treasure Dome, built with a mixture of limestone, mud, and sand. To reinforce each layer, glutinous rice glue was mixed into the mud in the process of five-round tamping. On top of this, the surface of the Treasure Dome was coated with lime, giving a smooth surface that was able to withstand erosion from wind and rain. The Treasure Dome, known as the Shiny Dome, is one of the eight famous scenes in Fuling Mausoleum.
ZHAOLING MAUSOLEUM
Zhaoling Mausoleum is the burial place for the second emperor of the Qing Dynasty, Huangtaiji and his empress, Xiaoduanwen. It is the largest and best-preserved imperial mausoleum of the Three Imperial Mausoleums in Shengjing. Zhaoling Mausoleum can be divided into three parts. The first part starts from the Horse Dismounting Stele and ends at Zhenghong Gate, with horse dismounting steles, statues of stone lions, and ornamental pillars lining up the eastern and western sides. Crossing the three-arched stone bridge in the north, there is a stone archway. Behind the archway and before the Zhenghong Gate is a courtyard. On the eastern side stands the Changing Pavilion, on the western side the slaughterhouse and food house, places for preparing offerings for worshipping ceremonies.
The second part of Zhaoling Mausoleum starts at Zhenghong Gate and ends at the Square Castle. Inside Zhenghong Gate six pairs of stone statues line both sides of the Sacred Path: elephants, camels, horses, kirins (a Chinese mythical creature), lions, and xiezhi (a Chinese mythical unicorn-type animal). A stele tower stands on the northern side of the statues with a tea and food house on its east side for serving the officials and soldiers guarding the mausoleum.
The third part is the main part of the mausoleum where the Square Castle, the Crescent Castle, and the Treasure City are interconnected. At the center of the Square Castle is Long'en Gate. The grand Long'en Hall is the mausoleum's Xiang Hall. To its north, inside the Square Castle, is the Ming Pavilion. There are also watchtowers on the four corners of the Square Castle. The Crescent Castle, next to the northern part of the Square Castle, has a semi-circular dome rising from its center. Called the Treasure Dome, it has an underground palace. Zhaoling Mausoleum underwent several rounds of expansion and reconstruction during the reigns of Emperors Kangxi, Qianlong, and Jiaqing, making it a venue rich in cultural value.
World History
