A Collection of Attractions Around Yandu Ancient City: Qing Xi Ling
Anyone can find a place that perfectly matches their vacation desires.
A city brimming with technology, where every moment brings the progress of the times and surprises the soul; a scenic small town that clearly displays nature's favor, washing body and mind with pure and natural things; a culturally rich ancient town that records the passing of time in a different way, filling the spiritual world with the wisdom of the ancients.
Bustle and noise, poetry and the distant. In this vast world, there is always a place that gives body and mind a unique feeling.
Longing for a different world, this desire drives footsteps across many places. Yet after all the wandering, I still find that whether it's scenic spots or bustling skyscrapers, I prefer places with a certain cultural depth. It so happens that Yandu Ancient City in Baoding, Hebei, is just such a wonderful place. But today's article is not about it; rather, it's about the charm beyond this ancient city.
The burial ground of kings – Qing Xi Ling
Those who come to the ancient city must have a certain fondness for history, and Qing Xi Ling, with its centuries-old history, is precisely an excellent place that matches that taste.
A single Qing Xi Ling, half the history of the Qing dynasty. This saying truly captures the extraordinary history of Qing Xi Ling. The last imperial tomb complex of the Qing dynasty, and also one of the two major imperial mausoleums, its construction began in 1730 (the eighth year of the Yongzheng reign) and spanned from the mid-18th century to the early 19th century. It is the largest, best-preserved, and most complete ancient royal tomb complex with the widest variety of mausoleum architectures existing today.
Qing Xi Ling contains 14 tombs, including the Tai Ling of Emperor Yongzheng, the Chang Ling of Emperor Jiaqing, the Mu Ling of Emperor Daoguang, the Chong Ling of Emperor Guangxu, and three empress tombs. In addition, there are tombs of Prince Huai, princesses, princes, and other royalty, totaling 14.
History is the number one highlight here. Here, one can glimpse ancient burial customs and feudal rituals, such as the fact that emperor and empress tombs have yellow glazed roof tiles, while tombs of imperial concubines, princesses, and princes use green glazed tiles or gray tiles.
But the history recorded in these bricks and tiles is more about the decline of the Qing dynasty from prosperity to decay. Among them, Tai Ling and Chang Ling are the most complete and largest tombs, reflecting the peak of the Qing dynasty. The scaled-down construction of Mu Ling and the reduced size of Chong Ling truthfully record the process of decline.
Art is the second highlight. Many buildings in Qing Xi Ling are decorated with colorful paintings and exquisite carvings. Palaces often feature xuanzi-style colored paintings, temple archways have hexi-style paintings, while temporary imperial residences and residences feature su-style paintings. Carvings of dragons and phoenixes are the most common. In short, the entire architectural complex fully reflects the superb level and national style of Qing dynasty architectural art.
Speaking of Ming and Qing architecture, Yandu Ancient City, though an imitation of Ming and Qing styles, also carries traces of Hui-style architecture. Thus, you can see the vibrant, symbolic colors of Ming and Qing buildings, brilliant and meaningful, as well as the white walls and black tiles of Hui-style architecture, simple yet elegant, along with classic courtyard houses that create a self-contained world within four walls.
That's the famous historical and cultural site of Yi County, Qing Xi Ling. If you're interested, why not visit it while exploring Yandu Ancient City?
See you in the next article!
