Maps of Temples, Palaces and Royal Gardens
明十三陵圖
Panoramic view of the Ming Tombs| Hanyu Pinyin | Ming shi san ling tu |
|---|---|
| Creator | Anonymous |
| Date | Mid-Qing period, 1736- |
| Measurement | |
| Techniques | Ink and color manuscript |
| Material | paper |
| Quantity | |
| Categories | |
| Country of Repository | |
| Identifier | Library of Congress |
| Link to Original Database | http://lccn.loc.gov/gm71005061 |
| Acquisition Source | Hummel, Arthur William, 1884-1975 |
| Acquisition Method | |
| Acquisition Date | 1962 |
| Share |
No title appears on the map; the title applied here is based on content. The map is oriented with north toward the upper right and is not drawn to scale. The exquisite panoramic view covers Tianshou Mountain in Changping County, located northwest of Beijing.
The view depicts the tombs of thirteen Ming Dynasty emperors, twenty-three empresses, approximately thirty concubines, two princes, and one funerary eunuch. The main road, the Spirit Way, leads into the complex, lined with statues, and a front gate with three red arches, known as the Great Red Gate. A note on the gate instructs officials to get off their horses as a sign of respect. Spirit Way, or Sacred Way, starts with a memorial archway at the front of the area. The map also shows the stele pavilion in the middle of Spirit Way. Four white marble pillars are positioned at each corner of the stele pavilion. At the top of each pillar is a mythical beast. Two more pillars are located on each side of the road; their surfaces are carved with the cloud design. They are designed to guide the souls of the deceased. The road leads to stone statues and a three-arched gate known as the Dragon and Phoenix Gate. Mountains and temples are shown pictorially. Changping County is on the bottom. Annotations describe each emperor's name, his ancestors, time of reign, age of death, the location, and the name of the tomb.
The map can be studied with the following documents in the National Palace Museum's collection: title: Hui tong cha Ming ling qin xu bao ge gong qing xing (Grand Council file no. 051342); title: Ming ling qin ying xiu xin jiu suo bao ge chu gong (Grand Council file no. 053250); title: Cha Ming ling qin ge xiang shi yi you (Grand Council file no. 108248).
The view depicts the tombs of thirteen Ming Dynasty emperors, twenty-three empresses, approximately thirty concubines, two princes, and one funerary eunuch. The main road, the Spirit Way, leads into the complex, lined with statues, and a front gate with three red arches, known as the Great Red Gate. A note on the gate instructs officials to get off their horses as a sign of respect. Spirit Way, or Sacred Way, starts with a memorial archway at the front of the area. The map also shows the stele pavilion in the middle of Spirit Way. Four white marble pillars are positioned at each corner of the stele pavilion. At the top of each pillar is a mythical beast. Two more pillars are located on each side of the road; their surfaces are carved with the cloud design. They are designed to guide the souls of the deceased. The road leads to stone statues and a three-arched gate known as the Dragon and Phoenix Gate. Mountains and temples are shown pictorially. Changping County is on the bottom. Annotations describe each emperor's name, his ancestors, time of reign, age of death, the location, and the name of the tomb.
The map can be studied with the following documents in the National Palace Museum's collection: title: Hui tong cha Ming ling qin xu bao ge gong qing xing (Grand Council file no. 051342); title: Ming ling qin ying xiu xin jiu suo bao ge chu gong (Grand Council file no. 053250); title: Cha Ming ling qin ge xiang shi yi you (Grand Council file no. 108248).
