Tomb · Garden

Author: Wang Ruinian / et al.
Editor-in-Chief: He Naixian / et al.
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1998-06-01
Features:
Fragment: Another is the tomb of Princess Jinhua, located in Pinggu County. Princess Jinhua was the beloved daughter of Emperor Jin Zhangzong Wanyan Jing, who passed away tragically at a young age. Deeply grieved, Emperor Zhangzong buried her by the banks of the Pinggu, where he often traveled for hunting and fishing. He carved a cave into the stone cliffs and suspended the coffin within, allowing the river water to flow beneath it. Today, the area has been developed into a park named Jinhai Lake Park.
9. The Great Disaster of Jinling
The vast and majestic China has a long history, marked by the rise and fall of dynasties and the fleeting reigns of emperors. Once, the capital of Jin was reduced to ashes, and the imperial tombs of Jin were also destroyed. By the middle period of the Ming Dynasty, the Jurchen people in the northeast began to rise again. In 1616 (the 44th year of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty), Nurhaci unified the various Jurchen tribes, proclaimed himself Khan in Hetaoala City (now Xinbin, Liaoning), established the state with the name "Jin," and it was later known as Later Jin. Later Jin was the predecessor of the Manchu people. Nurhaci rebelled against the Ming Dynasty, inflicted heavy losses on the Ming army in the Battle of Sal, and then captured important cities such as Shenyang and Liaoyang, moving the capital to Shenyang and renaming it Shengjing. From then on, most of Liaodong was occupied by Later Jin. The news of the Ming army's continuous retreat greatly shook the corrupt Ming Dynasty. The ignorant Emperor Tianqi, listening to slanderous rumors, attributed the rise of Later Jin to the "overwhelming aura" of Jinling, a land of great fortune. He believed that Longshan was the dragon's head and was connected to the dragon vein of Later Jin. To defeat Later Jin, it was necessary to sever its dragon vein. Thus, he ordered the demolition of Jinling and had the main peak of Longshan, the dragon's head, cut in half. A hole was also drilled at the "throat" and filled with pebbles, known as "severing the dragon's head" and "blocking the throat." Additionally, a large Guandi Temple was built on the original tomb site to use the sword of the heroic Guan Yu to suppress the "aura," reaching a ridiculous extent. The magnificent Jinling, once so splendid, was thus utterly destroyed.
Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty once made a perceptive remark: "When our troops captured Liaoyang, the Ming Dynasty was misled by the superstition that our dynasty's fortune was connected to the Bohai Sea and the dragon vein. In the first year of the Tianqi reign, the sacrifices to Jinling were abolished. In the second year, the imperial tombs were demolished, and the dragon vein was scraped. In the third year, a Guandi Temple was built on the site as a means of warding off evil. The rise and fall of a nation's fortune depend on the virtue of its rulers. Heaven observes only virtue—those with virtue prosper, while those without perish—and this has nothing to do with the fengshui of the imperial tombs. The Ming Dynasty's decline was due to political chaos and national peril, with Heaven's mandate already gone. At that time, the emperors and officials were foolish and deluded, unaware of how to change course, failing to cultivate virtue and work for the people to reverse Heaven's judgment. Instead, they lightly believed in baseless rumors, blaming the tombs of past dynasties and recklessly destroying them. Later, bandits rampant and the people turned rebellious, leading to the collapse of the state. Since the fengshui was irrelevant, how could the earlier destruction of the tombs have saved the nation from chaos and ruin? Ancient sages buried the dead with respect, showing kindness even to the bones. Yet, the rulers of the Ming Dynasty destroyed the imperial tombs of past dynasties, their folly enough to be ridiculed for generations to come."
Postscript:
The capital, Beijing, is a world-renowned historical and cultural city. It is one of the birthplaces of ancient humans, the ancient land of Youyuan, and the imperial capital of the Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. Turning the pages of its long history, ancient Beijing shines with the brilliance of the past while bearing the hardships of history. With the passage of time, Beijing has undergone tremendous changes, yet it remains marked by the traces of bygone eras. The crisscrossing streets and alleys, the magnificent and exquisite ancient buildings, and the ancient legends that emit the fragrance of earth—all are records of Beijing's history.
The series "Beijing Whispers" presents Beijing's long history and profound cultural heritage from various perspectives. Only by deeply understanding Beijing's past can we truly cherish its present and build a better future. This is our purpose.
This series is based on the broadcast content of the Literature and Art Station of Beijing People's Broadcasting Station's "Beijing Chat" program, aiming to blend thoughtfulness, knowledge, interest, and readability without excessive citations or research. There may be imperfections, and we welcome readers' corrections.
Beijing Library Press
Beijing People's Broadcasting Station