Ancient capital with a recent dark history - Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties 1004; Craftsmanship of Nanjing Yunjin brocade 00200
What and Why
One of the surprises in travels is really you do not know what to expect. I was travelling to Nanjing (Chinese: 南京) for work without realising that I step into a UNESCO WHS. For a fetish like me, this is blasphemous that I did not do enough homework. I have to say before I stepped into Nanjing, I only know two things about the city: 1) its pollution and 2) its massacre during the Second World War.
Ming Xiaoling (明孝陵) - The filial mausoleum of the Ming (明) dynasty, is the tomb of the Emperor Hongwu (洪武, né 朱元璋, Zhu Yuanzhang), the founder of the Ming dynasty. The tomb represents the highest level of sculpture and architecture during its era, and is ranked as the number one tombs of all the tombs and mausolea built during the Ming dynasty. The entire construction took 16 years and was completed in early 15th century CE.
The imperial tomb is located in topographical settings carefully chosen according to principles of geomancy (風水, fengshui) and comprise numerous buildings of traditional architectural design and decoration. The tombs and buildings are laid out according to Chinese hierarchical rules and incorporate sacred ways lined with stone monuments and sculptures designed to accommodate ongoing royal ceremonies as well as the passage of the spirits of the dead.
Nanjing boasts an ancient literary tradition and locals are known nationally as bibliophiles. Its tradition includes China (中国, Zhongguo) first literary academy and the world´s largest reference work, the 'Complete Classics Collection of Ancient China (古今图书集成, Gujin Tushu Jicheng)'. Over 10,000 literary works have been written in Nanjing, including the Chinese classic Dream of the Red Chamber (红楼梦, Hongloumeng). Hence it is now one of UNESCO City of Literature.
Nanjing also forges its own ICH by developing the skills of making an embroidered brocade (云锦, yunjin), which is unique to the city.
Toponymy
'Nanjing' means 'the southern capital' in Chinese. In China, the country is culturally divided by the Yangtze or Changjiang (长江) into North and South. Nanjing is located just south of the river bank.
See
Sacred Way (神道)
One enters the site through the monumental Great Golden Gates (大金门, Dajinmen), and is soon faced with a giant stone tortoise, which supports a splendid carved stone stele, crowned by intertwining dragons. The well-preserved stele is known as the Shengong Shengde stele (神功圣德碑).
After the tortoise one is led to an 1.8 km-long winding road known as the Sacred Way (神道, shendao) which starts near the Sifangcheng pavilion. The road is lined by twelve pairs of six kinds of sacred or mythical animals, lion, xiezhi (獬豸), camels, elephants, qilin (麒麟), and horses, guarding the tomb. After that continues along the road with four pairs or warrior guardian figures to guard the journey to the afterlife.
Central Plaza (广场)
After the sacred way one is led to the central plaza (广场, guangchang) where the mausoleum sits right in front of one's sight.
Mausoleum (陵墓)
Outside of the gate is an official notification of the local government in the Qing (清) dynasty is ordered to protect the tomb. Inside the gate, there the significant stele also mounted on a stone tortoise, is inscribed with four prominent Chinese characters 治隆唐宋 (zhilongtangsong), which were written by the famous Qing Emperor Kangxi (康熙, né ᡥᡳᠣᠸᠠᠨ
ᠶᡝᡳ (Manchu), Aisingioro Xuanye) in late 17th century CE. The text is interpreted as respect to the greatness of the Ming dynasty founder Zhu, for surpassing that of the founders of the Tang (唐) and Song (宋) dynasties.
The Chinese inscription 此山明太祖之墓 (cishan Mingtaizu zhi wu) on the back of the mausoleum meaning this is where the tomb of Ming founder. It is important to note that the mausoleum is not the final resting place, it is just a memorial building, The tumulus behind the building where this inscription is engraved is the actual grave.
A great stroll in the park honestly.
Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders (侵华日军南京大屠杀遇难同胞纪念馆)
One of the must visits in Najing of course is the very sombre Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders (侵华日军南京大屠杀遇难同胞纪念馆, Chenhua Rijun Nanjing Datusha Yuenantongbao Jinianguan). This museum remembers the atrocities performed by the Japanese, called the Nanjing Massacre (南京大屠杀, Nanjing datusha) during a six-week killing spree during which 300,000 Chinese were slaughtered. Due to the relatively short period, the intensity of this atrocity is probably equivalent to, or more than the Holocaust. A must-see in Nanjing, although be prepared for the intensity.
Buy and Do
Brocade (云锦)
A traditional Chinese luxury silk broade is sold everywhere in Nanjing. The Chinese word of brocade means 'cloud embroidery', as the designs are so elaborate that they look like clouds. Nanjing brocades are generally made from silk with natural dye. They are usually embroidered with gold and silver threads and enjoy a fine tradition and heritage since the 2nd century CE as they were used to make the emperor's dragon robe (龙袍, longpao). The particular brocades from the city are special as it involves a technique of swivel weaving that enabled them to weave colourful designs onto a base fabric in other weaves. This craftsmanship actually involves very precise sequences and is very similar to modern day computer programming.
While the robe is generally quite large, the brocade is actually quite light because it is made from silk. This technique is now inscribed as a UNESCO ICH. Naturally it is beyond my souvenir budget for my wife, nor she would like to wear one at all.
The technique has been used to make other clothing like ties, pillow covers and duvet covers. I did get a souvenir tie from the university that invited me there though. I have to admit the quality of this tie is way superior than any other ties that I have received as gifts from other institutions.
Eat and Drink
After a good walk we went to the famous Nanjing Impressions (南京大牌檔, Nanjing Dapaidang) which is a very crowded restaurant serving local and street foods of Nanjing. Absolutely a must-try together with a walk into the famous Confucius Temple Tourist Area (夫子庙, Fuzimiao).
Xiaolongbao (小籠包)
Nanjing is famous for its xiaolongbao (小籠包), literally meaning a little caged bun, in which pork soup is embedded inside a thin steamed bun.
The other famous dishes are the duck blood soup (鸭血汤, yaxuetang) and Nanjing salted duck (盐水鸭, yanshuiya), as above.
Getting There and Around
Metro will take you to walking distance to the park entrace at Muxuyuan (苜蓿园) station. All Chinese cities are well connected by rail. The park is only accessible on foot, except that at the entrance where you will be 'forced' to ride the electric buggy to the mausoleum etnrance. The entry fee to the site is CNY 70¥. All tourist sites in China are very pricey. The site is worth at least a full-day visit, together with other non-UNESCO related monuments, like the prominent Soong Mei-ling's (宋美齡, Song Meiling) old residence. Nanjing is a former capital of China and clearly has more to offer than just this mausoleum.
UNESCO Inscriptions
It represents the addition of three Imperial Tombs of the Qing Dynasty in Liaoning to the Ming tombs inscribed in 2000 and 2003. The Three Imperial Tombs of the Qing Dynasty in Liaoning Province include the Yongling Tomb, the Fuling Tomb, and the Zhaoling Tomb, all built in the 17th century. Constructed for the founding emperors of the Qing Dynasty and their ancestors, the tombs follow the precepts of traditional Chinese geomancy and fengshui theory. They feature rich decoration of stone statues and carvings and tiles with dragon motifs, illustrating the development of the funerary architecture of the Qing Dynasty. The three tomb complexes, and their numerous edifices, combine traditions inherited from previous dynasties and new features of Manchu civilization.
In the Chinese tradition of weaving Nanjing Yunjin brocade, two craftspeople operate the upper and lower parts of a large, complicated loom to produce textiles incorporating fine materials such as silk, gold and peacock feather yarn. The technique was once used to produce royal garments such as the dragon robe and crown costume; today, it is still used to make high-end attire and souvenirs. Preserved primarily in Jiangsu province in eastern China, the method comprises more than a hundred procedures, including manufacturing looms, drafting patterns, the creation of jacquard cards for programming weaving patterns, dressing the loom and the many stages of weaving itself. As they ‘pass the warp’ and ‘split the weft’, the weavers sing mnemonic ballads that remind them of the techniques they employ and enhance the cooperative, artistic atmosphere at the loom. The workers view their craft as part of a historical mission since, in addition to creating fabrics for contemporary use, yunjin is used to replicate ancient silk fabrics for researchers and museums. Named for the cloud-like splendour of the fabrics, yunjin remains popular throughout the country.
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