Changling Tomb
长陵
The first built of the 13 tombs,the Changling Tomb buried the Ming Emperor Yongle and his empress Xu. It was the largest (occupying 10 hectares) ,most advanced and best preserved imperial mausoleum, using the best materials. Built in 1409,even the underground palace of the massive project took four years to complete. Having undergone the weathering of 600 years,the Changling Tomb remains intact and resplendent and magnificent.
长陵是13个坟墓第一个建立的,埋葬着明永乐皇帝和他的徐皇后。它是是最大的(占地10公顷),最先进的、保存最好的皇家陵墓并且使用的材料最好。建于1409年,甚至大项目的地下宫殿花了四年才完成。长陵经过600年的风化,依然完好无损,金碧辉煌的。
its design followed that of Xiao Mausoleum for Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang the dynasty founder；the front is a rectangular courtyard and the rear is the round Treasure Dome (tomb mound), led in by 15km Divine Avenue from south to north. The Divine Avenue extends from the stone archway at the mausoleum entrance straight forward to the gate of the mausoleum palace as the axis of the entire mausoleum and the symbol of the supreme majesty of the monarch. Northward from the stone archway along the Divine Avenue are arranged in order the Big Red Gate, Stele of Achievements and Virtues,Watch Post,and stone animals and figures,the line ending at an exquisite and unique Lingxing Gate,the entrance to the mausoleum proper.
长陵的设计仿照开国皇帝朱元璋的孝陵，前面是一个长方形的庭院,后面是圆宝顶(墓丘)，神道从南到北15公里贯穿而过。神道沿着整个陵墓的轴线从石头拱门直接延伸到陵墓入口处门，象征着最高君主的威严。沿着神道从石牌坊向北，大红门,丰功碑，看台及石头动物人物依次排列直至陵墓的入口一个精致的和独特的菱形大门,
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