Xiaoling Mausoleum, located at the southern foot of Mount Zijin in the eastern suburb of Nanjing, is not only a national cultural relics preservation unit but an architectual masterpiece that represents the paramount craftsmanship of Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).
Xiaoling Mausoleum is the burial site of Zhu Yuanzhang (1328-98) - the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).
The construction of the mausoleum started in 1381 and took more than 30 years to complete.
From the Xiama Archway, the entrance of the tomb, to Baocheng (Treasure City), where the underground palace lies, Xiaoling Mausoleum extends about 3000 metres in length. All constitute a large area of tomb relic culture with great historical significance.
The buildings and stone carvings in the tomb area include the Big Golden Gate, the Outer Imperial River, stone sculptures, stone sacrificial columns, the Lingxing Gate, the Inner Imperial River, the Golden Water Bridge, the Tomb Palace Gate, the Sacrificial Palace, the Imperial Kitchen, the Plot of the Side Halls and the Shenbo Stove.
Authenticity of the original buildings and the integrity of the layout have been well maintained.
The stone sculptures along the Sacred Avenue of Xiaoling Mausoleum are solemn and extremely lifelike.
They represent the supreme artwork of stone-cutting in the early Ming Dynasty.
The imposing buildings on the ground embody the greatest achievement in architecture during the Ming and Qing (AD1616-1911) dynasties.
The buildings are in accordance with the natural environment, both of which interact to reach harmony.
Xiaoling Mausoleum embodies the ancient Chinese philosophic thinking of  "unity of humans and the universe".
Also it complies with the ritual system advocated by Confucianism.
Thus, it is regarded as an outstanding work of traditional Chinese architecture.
Xiaoling Mausoleum was a product of feudal society at another peak in Chinese history and the combination of political thinking, social culture, aesthetic concepts and architectural skills in the early years of the Ming Dynasty.
The tomb is outstanding in style and typical in spirit of the time, in terms of structural design and architectural technology.
It inherited the advantages of the systems of imperial mausoleums of the Han (206 BC-AD220), Tang (AD 618-907) and Song (AD 960-1279) dynasties, while creating a new system of its own.
The system developed during the construction of Xiaoling Mausoleum became the general structure of mausoleum architecture for more than 500 years.
As a result, Xiaoilng Mausoleum has been the leading mausoleum system in the Ming and Qing dynasties, possessing a fabulous and cherished position in the development of Chinese imperial mausoleums.