[Photo from cdta.gov.cn]

Located at the foot of Mount Zhengjue in Shiling town, Longquanyi district, Chengdu, the Mausoleum of the King of the Shu Kingdom in the Ming Dynasty is 4 km away from the city of Chengdu.

Similar to the 13 Ming Tombs in Beijing, the mausoleum consists of 10 tombs in total and was built with King Xi of the Ming Dynasty at its center. In December of 1996, the mausoleum was listed as a national relic protection unit by the State Council.

Five kilometers away from Chengzhao Highway, the tomb of King Xi was excavated in 1979. Around 500 pieces of painted terra cotta and dancing figurines were found in the magnificent and splendid underground palace. It was also regarded as “the most exquisite underground palace in ancient China.”

The layout divided the mausoleum into three courtyards. The front door featured 81 doornails. A dragon with five claws on the tombstone symbolized the imperial power. The middle chamber featured paintings of chrysanthemums, lilies, peonies, auspicious clouds and lotuses. The back chamber was decorated with pottery, featuring a double dragon playing a ball, an auspicious symbol in traditional culture.