Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum Travel Guide and Food Guide
Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum Travel Guide
Basic Information
Address: Located at the foot of Dulongfuwanzhu Peak on the southern slope of Zijin Mountain, Xuanwu District, Nanjing City.
Opening Hours: Generally from 6:30 18:30 from March to November; from 7:00 17:30 from December to February of the following year. The specific time may be adjusted, subject to the actual announcement of the scenic area.
Ticket Price: The ticket price of Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum scenic area is 70 yuan. Tickets can be purchased on the official website of the scenic area, major travel platforms or at the on-site ticket windows.
Recommended Tour Routes
Walking along the Sacred Way
Entering from the Dajin Gate, the first thing that comes into view is the Sacred Way of Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum. It winds and twists, with stone statues of animals and officials standing on both sides. There are stone animals such as lions, xiezhi, camels, elephants, kylins, horses, etc., as well as stone civil officials and military generals. Their shapes are vivid and the carvings are exquisite. You can walk slowly along the Sacred Way, admire these treasures of ancient stone carving art and feel the vicissitudes of history.
Visiting the Site of the Hall of Enjoyment
After walking through the Sacred Way, you will come to the site of the Hall of Enjoyment. This was the place where the spirit tablets of Zhu Yuanzhang and Empress Ma were enshrined and sacrificial activities were held. Although only some stone pillar bases and other ruins remain today, you can still imagine the grandeur of the building in those years through the scale of the ruins and understand the regulations of ancient royal sacrifices.
Exploring the Square City and the Ming Tower
Then you come to the Square City and the Ming Tower, which are one of the landmark buildings of Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum. The Square City is tall and majestic, and the Ming Tower stands on it. Climbing onto the Square City, you can overlook the beautiful scenery of the entire Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum scenic area and enjoy the beautiful scenery of Zijin Mountain in the distance. There are also some Ming Dynasty inscriptions and other cultural relics preserved in the Ming Tower, which have important historical value.
Enjoying the Scenery at the Treasure Mound
From the tunnel behind the Square City and the Ming Tower, you can go to the Treasure Mound. The Treasure Mound is where the underground palace where Zhu Yuanzhang and Empress Ma were buried together is located. The surrounding trees are lush and the environment is quiet and beautiful. Here you can feel the mystery and tranquility of this imperial mausoleum and enjoy the unique scenery where natural and cultural landscapes blend with each other.
Travel Tips
Best Visiting Time: In spring (March May), plum blossoms are in full bloom in the scenic area, with flowers like a piece of brocade; in autumn (September November), ginkgo leaves turn golden and maple leaves turn red, and the scenery is pleasant. These two seasons are the best times to visit Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum.
Explanation Services: In order to better understand the historical and cultural connotations of Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, you can rent an explainer of the scenic area (the rent is generally about 20 30 yuan), or follow a professional tour guide team of the scenic area for an explanatory tour (the price depends on the size of the team and the content of the service).
Dressing Suggestions: Since the scenic area is large and you need to walk for a long time, it is recommended to wear comfortable sports shoes or flat shoes; at the same time, bring appropriate clothing according to the seasonal changes, such as paying attention to sun protection in summer and keeping warm in winter.
Nanjing Food Guide (including around Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum)
Recommended Specialties
Jinling Roast Duck
Introduction: Different from Peking Roast Duck, Jinling Roast Duck has a crispy skin and tender meat with a strong sauce flavor. The roast duck is chopped into small pieces and topped with a sauce made of brine, balsamic vinegar, sugar, etc. The taste is mellow, delicious and fragrant.
Recommended Store: Jin Hongxing Duck Store (Room 105, No. 5, Mingwalang). This is a time-honored roast duck store in Nanjing. The ducks are roasted and sold on the spot every day. The duck skin is crispy and the meat is tender, and the brine is very flavorful.
Duck Blood and Vermicelli Soup
Introduction: Made mainly from duck blood, duck intestines, duck liver and other duck internal organs, added with vermicelli and boiled with duck soup. The soup is delicious, the vermicelli is smooth, and the duck offal has a rich texture. It is a representative snack of Nanjing.
Recommended Store: Yadebao Old Duck Vermicelli Soup (multiple branches). Its soup is rich, the duck offal is clean and has no peculiar smell, and the quality of the vermicelli is also good. You can also add ingredients such as duck gizzard and crispy rice according to personal taste.
Beef Potstickers
Introduction: With beef as the filling, wrapped in a long and narrow dumpling-shaped dough and fried in an oil pan until golden. The outer skin is crispy and the inner filling is juicy. Usually, it tastes better when eaten with balsamic vinegar.
Recommended Store: Caoqiao Islamic Beef Potstickers and Flat Dumpling Store (No. 208, Pingshi Street). The beef potstickers in this store have a crispy outer skin. When you bite into them, rich juice flows out, and the beef filling tastes delicious.
Nanjing Salted Duck
Introduction: It is made by first dry-salting with fried salt, then wet-salting with brine, and then drying or drying the surface moisture, and finally boiling it in brine. The meat is tender, fat but not greasy, and the saltiness is just right.
Recommended Store: Zhangyun Salted Duck (No. 236, Shengzhou Road). The salted duck of Zhangyun Salted Duck has a firm texture, the saltiness is just right, and the duck flavor is strong.
Plum Blossom Cake
Introduction: A traditional Jiangnan snack. Pour the batter into a special mold, embellish it with red dates, nuts, small yuanxiao (glutinous rice balls), etc. and then steam it. It looks like a plum blossom and has a soft and glutinous taste without being too sweet.
Recommended Store: Master Zuo’s Plum Blossom Cake (No. 1, New Caishi, Matai Street). The plum blossom cake of Master Zuo’s uses real materials. The red bean paste filling is delicate and sweet, and the small yuanxiao on it is soft, glutinous and elastic, and is very popular.
Food Streets
Confucius Temple Qinhuai Scenic Belt
Introduction: Here gathers all kinds of Nanjing special delicacies and flavor snacks from all over the country. In addition to the above-mentioned delicacies, there are also red bean yuanxiao of Lianhu Cake Shop, duck oil crisp cake of Qifang Pavilion, etc. At the same time, you can also enjoy the night view of the Qinhuai River and experience the historical and cultural atmosphere of Nanjing.
Transportation: From Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, you can take Metro Line 2 (get on at Muxuyuan Station and transfer to Line 3 at Daxinggong Station) and get off at Confucius Temple Station.
Shiziqiao Food Pedestrian Street
Introduction: There are many food stores on both sides of the street. There are not only local Nanjing cuisines but also restaurants of various other cuisines to choose from. Here you can taste various Nanjing special dishes of Nanjing Dafandian (No. 2, Shiziqiao), such as Meiling Porridge, Jiangmi Kourou, etc., and also experience the dining environment with the style of the Republic of China period.
Transportation: From Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, you can take Metro Line 2 (get on at Muxuyuan Station and transfer to Line 1 at Xinjiekou Station) and get off at Xuanwumen Station and then walk there.
