The Ming Tombs of Nanjing

Did you hear about the Ming Vase that walked into a bar?  He got smashed !

 If you asked 100 people off the street in any U.S. city to give you the name of a Chinese Dynasty, I would bet that 75 of them would say "Ming" and the other 25 wouldn't be able to give an answer.  That's not meant to be condescending.  Ming was the only one I could name prior to a few months ago.  The Ming Dynasty is seen as a high point of Chinese art and culture and power.  And the Ming Vase shows up in countless jokes and occasional stories of hidden treasures.

 The fellow that started the Ming Dynasty - the first emperor - was a bit of a rags-to-riches story himself.  He was born a peasant, then became a beggar, and then a monk.  Then he got mixed up in a rebellion and discovered his true calling.  He rose through the ranks, became the rebel leader, overthrew the existing dynasty, drove the Mongols back to the North, and unified the country again.  He took the name "Hongwu" and made Nanjing his capitol.

 Hongwu is buried up on ZinJin Shan, or Purple Mountain, on the Northwest side of Nanjing.  It's in a lovely setting - built into the side of the tree-covered hill.  You don't really see the tomb - Hongwu is buried under a big mound of tree-covered dirt.  That mound is located behind that big building you see in the top photo - the Soul Tower. The burial complex covers several acres and sports historic ruins and reconstructions.  The hillside is criss-crossed with trails leading to scenic spots and places of Ming legend.

 Higher up the hillside is Purple Lake, shown above.  Below is a photo the "Spirit Way"....which is the walking path that leads up to the tomb area.

Old Hongwu was the only Ming Emperor to be buried at Nanjing.  His successor was challenged and eventually usurped by the third Ming Emperor, named Yongle.  He moved the capitol from Nanjing to Beijing, where it stayed through the glory years of the Ming Dynasty.