A Nanjing Local's View of Nanjing – Autumn Colors on Stone Elephant Road

Visiting time: November 2021

Way of travel: cycling

Attraction: Stone Elephant Road at Ming Xiaoling

Address: inside Ming Xiaoling Park, Nanjing

Today I had planned to cycle to the South Garden of the botanical garden to enjoy the autumn scenery at Crescent Dike. Riding along, at a junction I chose to turn right, thinking all roads lead to Rome and this direction seemed right, but the road ended right at Ming Xiaoling. On second thought, I realize I haven't been to Stone Elephant Road for many years. Perhaps it was fate, giving me a chance to revisit an old haunt! So I went along with the arrangement. Ming Xiaoling has many entrances; this one is Gate No. 7, the closest to Zixia Lake.

After entering, I followed Lingxi Road westward, passed the Golden Water Bridge, and glimpsed the Ming Xiaoling mausoleum in the distance. But that wasn't my destination today.

I continued along Lingxi Road, where autumn was in full swing.

Passing through Lingxing Gate, I reached the Spirit Way. This section, Wengzhong Road, is the second stretch of the Xiaoling Spirit Way, 250 meters long, lined with a pair of ornamental pillars, two pairs of military officers, and two pairs of civil officials.

The pillars are topped with cylindrical crowns, their shafts fully carved with cloud-and-dragon patterns, a departure from the lotus-style tops used on spirit way pillars since the Tang and Song dynasties. The civil and military figures stand solemn and dignified, the ceremonial guards and faithful protectors of the tomb.

I crossed the Spirit Way. At this end stood two spirit way pillars, hexagonal in shape, 6.6 meters tall, carved with cloud-and-dragon designs. Usually, such pillars are placed at the very beginning of a spirit way, but at Ming Xiaoling they are placed in the middle – a distinctive feature of this particular spirit way.

The Ming Xiaoling Spirit Way breaks with the straight-line tradition of imperial tombs; it follows the terrain and mountain contours, winding beautifully. Building and landscape blend perfectly. The first section turns left into Stone Elephant Road. Stone Elephant Road is the first stretch of the Xiaolingwei Spirit Way, over six hundred meters long.

Along both sides, six types of stone creatures are arranged in pairs: lions, xiezhi (mythical beasts), camels, elephants, qilin, and horses. Each type has two pairs, making twelve pairs or twenty-four statues in total.

Each pair shows two kneeling and two standing figures, lining the path in greeting. These creatures served the ceremonial needs of the imperial mausoleum, each with its own symbolism: the horse was the emperor’s trusted steed in his campaigns to unify the realm.

The qilin is a mythical beast born of ancient imagination, blending features of deer, lion, ox, and dragon. It was a creature said to appear only when an emperor ruled with benevolence, and was reserved exclusively for imperial tombs.

What was once a solemn place has now become a favorite photo spot for ordinary folks.

I wasn’t the only visitor indulging in the joy of sightseeing.

Among the six stone creatures on the Ming Xiaoling Spirit Way, the elephant is the largest.

Its four legs are thick and powerful, as steady as boulders, symbolizing the stability of the empire.

A pair of kneeling and standing elephants. I remember when I first came to Nanjing over twenty years ago, I took a photo right here – back then we still had to develop and print pictures to keep them. Later, as a mother, I brought my child to play here and took a photo in the exact same spot. Time ages me, but the elephant remains unchanged.

The camel represents the desert and tropics, symbolizing the vast territory of the Ming Dynasty and the emperor’s power extending in all directions.

In the height of late autumn, Stone Elephant Road is immersed in layered colors. Zelkova, maple, and ginkgo trees intermingle, each putting on vibrant autumn attire.

The midday sun illuminates the leaves, making them translucent and bright.

The ginkgo leaves, fading from green to yellow, are the truest witnesses of autumn.

Autumn here is bursting with life and excitement.

Look at the crowds – even on a regular workday, there are plenty of visitors, and about 80% are Nanjing locals. People in Nanjing have a deep love for their city, and they never hesitate to show it.

Just glance at these senior photography enthusiasts listening intently to their teacher’s instructions, and you’ll understand: if you live in Nanjing and don’t take a stroll along the wonderfully colorful Stone Elephant Road in autumn, you haven’t truly experienced the season.

All those long lenses and pro cameras are there to capture the most satisfying autumn shot.

That gives you an idea of how happy Nanjing’s seniors are!

A road planted with plane trees runs perpendicular to the east-west Stone Elephant Road, its towering trees standing upright like guards.

“Plane tree autumn dreams intoxicate Jinling” – a graceful woman walked into my frame, making the whole scene deeply intoxicating.

My attention wandered for a moment, then returned to Stone Elephant Road. Sunlight streamed through the translucent yellow-green leaves, lighting up our smiles.

Layers of green, high and low, in different shades, refreshed the soul.

Rich autumn colors spread out along this road like ink on a painting.

Color-shifting leaves stood vivid and intense against the blue sky and white clouds.

Stone Elephant Road is the autumn longing of every Nanjing resident.

It’s autumn’s gift to the city of Nanjing.

The xiezhi is a mythical beast: single-horned, lion-bodied, with blue fur, righteous by nature, able to distinguish right from wrong and use its horn to push over the guilty.

A little further ahead is the eastern entrance to Stone Elephant Road, which is also Gate No. 1 of Ming Xiaoling.

To the north of Stone Elephant Road lies the cherry blossom garden of Ming Xiaoling.

Seemingly casually placed stone carvings exude nobility and refinement.

A row of stone carvings along the roadside displays imperial majesty.

The cherry blossom garden has its own autumn charm.

Stepping into this plane-tree avenue, I felt its grandeur even more deeply.

Natural scenery and cultural relics blend seamlessly within the park.

A woman holding a camera all by herself – I am often moved by such images of independent travelers.

From different angles, I captured different landscapes.

Here is a vast, sprawling lawn.

On the west side of the square stands the Sun Quan Memorial Hall, commemorating the Great Emperor of Eastern Wu.

The huge square takes on a majestic beauty in autumn.

Trees of various species surround the lawn at different heights and spacings.

Every shade of green, every yellow, and countless unnamed hues form a giant palette.

The rolling Purple Mountain serves as the backdrop to this picture.

A tranquil woman merged with nature – she was absorbed in nature, absorbed in her book, and I was absorbed in the sense of harmony between human and nature she exuded.

All kinds of beauty lovers recorded this loveliness in their own way.

The same tree species displayed entirely different colors at this moment – how magical nature is.

On one side of the square is the plum blossom garden. Now, Ming Xiaoling even includes the Plum Blossom Hill Park; they have merged into one inseparable whole.

In such surroundings, even the magpies appear calm and serene.

This is the Ming Xiaoling Spirit Way on the southern side of Purple Mountain. One stretch is the stone animal spirit way (Stone Elephant Road),

the other is the stone figure spirit way (Wengzhong Road). The two segments wrap around Plum Blossom Hill, which contains the tomb of Sun Quan from the Three Kingdoms period, forming a curving shape reminiscent of the Big Dipper.

How wonderful it is to live in Nanjing – just a casual walk reveals the charm of this ancient city. Nanjing is a city that blends history into nature.

I used my lunch break on a workday to visit Ming Xiaoling. The park is huge. As a local, I never feel the need to cover every corner in one visit. I have an annual pass, so whenever I have free time, I come to walk along Stone Elephant Road, sit in the square, and, like that tranquil woman with a book, while away a couple of hours……