The Ming and Qing dynasties are the two most recent feudal dynasties in Chinese history to modern society, so they are often compared. But the tombs of the two dynasties, which ruled close to each other and had similar numbers of emperors, were treated markedly differently. The imperial tombs of the Qing Dynasty were stolen and excavated, and the emperors such as Kangxi and Qianlong were undoubtedly spared, and the most tragic was Cixi, who not only stole the tomb goods, but also threw the corpses out of the coffin, and there was no peace after the real death.
In contrast, the Ming Emperor's tomb did not suffer these things, and none of them were stolen. This can't help but feel strange, the location of Ming Ling is not mysterious, his location is known to everyone, but it can be completely preserved, which is very magical. The different treatment of Qingling and Mingling has caused many people to think.
Why is the Ming Tomb well preserved? There are probably several reasons for this. The Ming Tombs were built because they were protected by the rulers, and in the zhu family's political stage, no one would risk the world to rob the tomb. After Li Zicheng invaded Beijing and the Chongzhen Emperor committed suicide, it was not long before the Qing soldiers entered the pass. After the Qing soldiers entered the customs, they quickly moved south and established the Qing Dynasty. This led to no direct hatred between the Ming and Qing dynasties. In order to buy people's hearts, the rulers of the Qing Dynasty naturally did not attack the Ming Emperor's mausoleum.
In addition, the location of the Ming Emperor's mausoleum is more special, most of the imperial tombs will choose a place that is rarely visited, and some even do not have an exact location. However, the Ming emperor is more unusual, whether it is the Ming Emperor's Mausoleum near Nanjing, or the Ming Tombs in Beijing, the location is relatively prosperous, and if the tomb robbers have a big move, it is very easy to attract the attention of others. From ancient times to the present, tomb robbery is considered a very shady act, especially in ancient times, and it was punished with capital punishment when it was discovered. Therefore, it is very rare to steal the Ming Emperor's tomb quietly.
Another point is that the Ming Tomb Treasure City is larger, the underground palace is deep and the tomb is curved, and the entrance is very difficult to find. In the early days of the founding of the People's Republic of China, Guo Moruo led the excavation of the Ming Emperor's mausoleum, although many people believed that the technology at that time was not perfect and objected, but because of Guo Moruo's fame, this excavation was finally approved.
At first, Guo Moruo set his eyes on Zhu Di's Changling Tomb, but after some series of actions, he could not find the entrance. So he set his sights on the Dingling Tomb of the Wanli Emperor. This time it was opened, but because the team at that time lacked archaeological knowledge, the cultural relics in the Dingling Tomb were oxidized, causing great damage, so the Imperial Tomb was forbidden to be excavated since then. Although Guo Moruo is a celebrity in the field of culture, he has also become a sinner in the archaeological community.
The Qing Emperor's Mausoleum was not so far away, and the degree of destruction was quite tragic, which was inseparable from the reputation of the Qing government at that time. From the beginning of the Opium War, the Qing government signed a number of treaties that humiliated the country. Ordinary people live in poverty, but the rulers are very extravagant and spending. It is said that after Sun Dianying blew up the Tanglin Tomb, Guangxi's funeral items were worth 300 million taels of silver. Therefore, the tombs of the Emperor of the Qing Dynasty were basically patronized, especially the tombs of the Qianlong Emperor became the focus of "attention", and his body was also seriously damaged.
Compared with the Ming Emperor's Mausoleum, the Qing Emperor's Mausoleum is located in the middle of nowhere, providing a comparative advantage environment for tomb robbers. In terms of the structure of the tomb, the treasure city of the Qing Emperor's Mausoleum is small, the underground palace is buried deeply, and the tomb passage is straight, so the tomb robber can find the entrance as long as he digs down, which is not difficult for the tomb robber, and it is for this reason that it has become the preferred choice for tomb robbers.
According to statistics, the imperial tombs of the Qing Dynasty, except for the mausoleums of Shunzhi, the tombs of other Qing Dynasty emperors were not spared. This is also related to shunzhi's era, but the society is more turbulent, the royal family's financial resources are insufficient, coupled with Shunzhi's death from smallpox, it is buried after cremation, and there are few funerary items in his mausoleum, and the tomb robbers will not bother to open it. Of course, Puyi is also an exception.
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