What does "Emperor Daxing" mean, and what process did the Qing Dynasty emperor and queen go through from their death to their burial? In feudal China, the funeral ceremonies of the imperial emperors and queens were extremely extravagant and arrogant, showing their supreme dignity everywhere. After the death of the Qing emperor, he was called the "Emperor Daxing", which meant that he passed away forever. From death to burial, the emperor and queen have to go through a series of red tape funeral ceremonies, which cost a lot of money. So, what exactly are the links of these ceremonies? How are the remains of the emperor and queen preserved to prevent decay? How are the royal tombs selected and constructed? How many temporary palaces need to be built along the way for the Azusa Palace to be parked? What are the solemn ceremonies when the Azusa Palace enters the mausoleum?
Site selection and construction of the royal mausoleum
The location of the tombs of the Qing emperors was extremely particular and required strict rules. First of all, it is necessary to choose a feng shui treasure with a superior geographical environment. The mausoleum is surrounded by mountains and rivers to avoid floods and other disasters. Secondly, it is not far from the capital, which is convenient to enter and exit, and far away from the hustle and bustle. Thirdly, the area where the mausoleum is located has a pleasant climate and moderate soil quality, so as to facilitate the long-term preservation of the coffin.
Once the site was chosen, construction began. First of all, the Ministry of Industry sent personnel to measure the foundation of the mausoleum and draw the plan of the cemetery. Subsequently, a large number of people were recruited from all over the country to start building mausoleums. The main building of the mausoleum is the underground palace, which is made of red bricks, rectangular in shape, and the top is paved with blue bricks. The interior of the underground palace is equipped with a front room, a middle room and a back room, which are used for placing burial goods, placing coffins and sacrificial purposes.
The perimeter of the underground palace is surrounded by a high wall, and the walls are thick and heavy to prevent damage from external forces. A moat was built outside the wall, and the river fed from a nearby stream. The gate of the cemetery is a red lacquer double door, and the lintel is engraved with the word "Qin this", highlighting the royal majesty. Outside the door, there is a straight corridor, the body of the corridor is made of bluestone, and the roof of the corridor is made of wood. A row of cypress trees is planted on each side of the promenade to provide shade and shade.
In addition to the main building, the cemetery is also supplemented by other supporting facilities. Such as incense pavilion, sacrificial altar, bell and drum tower, etc., used for sacrificial needs. The construction of the mausoleum is huge, and countless manpower and material resources are mobilized, and it can be completed in several years. A royal mausoleum was thus formed, which was magnificent and magnificent.
The preliminary ceremonies after the death of the emperor
After the death of the emperor, the imperial court had to immediately begin preparations for the funeral rites. First of all, the body must be preliminarily disposed of to prevent corruption.
For the emperor, once he died, the heir emperor would personally visit the corpse and preside over the small burial ceremony. When the body is buried, it is necessary to wear clothes for the body to prevent the body from being unable to dress after it is stiff.
After the small funeral, the body was temporarily rested in the Xinuan Pavilion of the Qianqing Palace.
After the Qin Tianjian selected the auspicious period, the emperor came to preside over the funeral ceremony in person, bury the body into the coffin, and at the same time put the burial goods in the coffin.
After the funeral, Zigong was moved to the middle of the Ming Room of the Qianqing Palace.
At the same time, the imperial court needs to designate a special person to be responsible for funeral matters, which is equivalent to the modern "funeral committee".
In addition, the edict of the "Emperor Daxing" must be issued to all parts of the country to inform the subjects of mourning.
More importantly, it was necessary for the meeting of high-level officials such as scholars and scholars of the six ministries and nine secretaries to agree on the temple number, nickname, and temple name of the first emperor, so as to seal it.
If the mausoleum of the first emperor has not yet been built, the imperial court also needs to send personnel to choose a site for construction.
If the mausoleum has been built but has fallen into disrepair, it needs to be renovated urgently.
At the same time, it is also necessary to honor the widow of the first emperor as the queen mother, determine the wife of the new emperor as the queen, and entitle a number of imperial viscounts to the title of princess, and the widow of the first emperor as a concubine as a whole.
Finally, the imperial court needed to determine the temporary location of the Azusa Palace and the time of its relocation.
During this period, the emperor had to personally worship three times a day in front of the Zigong Palace.
For the Queen, the funeral rites were slightly simplified, but the overall process was largely similar. Once the queen died, the body was first buried by the palace people, and after wearing clothes, it was carried to Ji'an in an auspicious sedan chair.
After the auspicious period is determined, the body will be buried in the coffin.
Zigong also needs to be moved to the Qianqing Palace, and the emperor will preside over the sacrifice.
The first ceremonial red tape after the death of the Empress was intended to demonstrate her dignity and prepare the deceased for their final journey.
Preparations before the departure of Azusa Palace
Before the departure of the Azusa Palace, the imperial court needs to do a lot of preparations. First of all, a temporary palace needs to be built along the way for Azusa Palace to park. The number of palaces varies depending on the distance, but is usually set up every 20 to 30 miles.
The palace was built with great care and to strict specifications. The palace covers a vast area and consists of buildings such as the main hall, the side hall, and the pedestrian wing. The main hall is the temporary resting place of the Azusa Palace, and the momentum is magnificent. The side hall is used to display sacrifices and sacrificial vessels. The pedestrian wing is the place where the accompanying officials eat and stay. The palace needs to be surrounded by a tall wall, and a moat should be built outside the wall to prevent outsiders from peeping.
In addition to the palace, temporary bridges need to be built along the way to facilitate the crossing of the river. The bridge is made of wood, the bridge deck is paved with bluestone slabs, and railings are installed on both sides. A colored flag is erected at the head and end of the bridge to show the royal majesty.
In order to ensure the smooth arrival of the Azusa Palace at the mausoleum, the imperial court also needs to strictly select and train barmen. The barman needs to be strong and well-versed in the various rules of the Azusa Palace. They need to memorize the weight of the Azusa Palace and master the rhythm and strength of the lift. To this end, the imperial court set up a special training center for barmen, which was strictly trained by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
In addition to the barmen, a large number of entourages need to be selected, such as ceremonial officials, guards, craftsmen, etc. Ceremonial officials were in charge of the rituals along the route, guards were in charge of maintaining order, and craftsmen were in charge of repairing the roads and palaces.
Finally, the imperial court also needs to prepare a large number of burial goods, including clothes, treasures, cultural relics, etc. These burial items are to be counted and packed properly for transport to the mausoleum.
The preparations before the departure of the Azusa Palace were vast, and countless manpower and material resources were mobilized. Only when everything is ready, Azusa Palace can set off as scheduled and go to the mausoleum for a long rest.
Ceremonial activities along the Azusa Palace
Azusa Palace departs for the mausoleum, and various ceremonies are held along the way. First of all, when leaving the capital, there is a grand ceremony to leave the city. Zigong slowly moved out of the Forbidden City from the Qianqing Palace, and the officials and entourage all had to be accompanied by a queue.
When the Azusa Palace arrives at the city gate, the city gate is wide open, the gong is sounded, and the ceremonial officials burn incense to salute to show the highest respect.
Azusa Palace slowly passed through the city gate, and the entourage officials also had to kneel down to send Azusa Palace out of Beijing.
Along the way, every time Azusa Palace passed through a town, local officials had to organize people to raise the money.
Road money is made of copper coins, and auspicious words such as "eternal love" are written on it. People crowded along the streets, throwing away road money and praying for safety.
When Azusa Palace passed, the road money fell like rain, and the scene was extremely spectacular.
Whenever Azusa Palace arrives at a palace, it is necessary to stop and rest, and perform a ceremonial ceremonial retreat.
The ceremonial ceremonial ceremony is extremely grand, first by the ceremonial officials in the main hall of the palace incense, and then the azusa palace slowly moved in.
After the azusa palace was properly placed, the ceremonial officer made three more gifts to show respect.
The entourage officials were also required to keep vigil in the palace, night and day, until the departure of the Azusa Palace.
In addition to this, other ceremonies are held along the way. For example, every time you cross the river, you need to carry out a water crossing ceremony to pray for a safe river crossing.
In the event of heavy rain or snowstorms, rain and snow festivals are also held to pray for the good fortune of the heavens.
In the event of the death of an official or an attendant, a temporary funeral ceremony is required.
Azusa Palace has been moving forward all the way, and the ceremonial activities have not stopped. Along the way, you can see cigarette smoke everywhere, gongs and drums.
All this is to give the highest respect and blessing to the deceased emperor.
The final ceremony of the Azusa Palace's entry into the mausoleum
After the Azusa Palace was moved out of the Longen Palace, it was temporarily installed in the Lu Hall in front of the square city.
On the day of the burial, according to the auspicious time selected by Qin Tianjian, Zigong slowly set off from the Lu Hall and went to the underground palace to sleep.
When going to the three-hole arch bridge of the three roads, the Zigong is transferred from 128 people to 32 people.
The guards or eunuchs guide the lanterns, and the Zigong Palace slowly enters the cemetery from the middle gate of the Longen Gate.
Walk along the path of the gods, until you reach the mausoleum where you are buried, and stop again in front of the mausoleum gate.
Subsequently, the Azusa Palace was slowly moved into the inner room of the underground palace and placed on the coffin bed.
The servants then closed the stone gate and sealed the underground palace permanently.
At this point, the body of the emperor and queen was laid to rest in the cemetery for a long time, and the funeral ceremony was completed.
In addition to the core link of the Zigong Mausoleum, it is also necessary to send officials to pay tribute to the mausoleums in the cemetery, as well as the geographical gods such as Houtu and Changrui Mountain.
It is an important ritual to report to the ancestors and the earth that the new owner has settled in order.
What's more special is that before arriving at the cemetery in Zigong, it is necessary to first "Red Gate Yao Sacrifice" outside the big red gate.
This sacrifice is performed by the new emperor or the escort prince instead of the first emperor, to the ancestors in the cemetery.
This is not only the highest respect for the ancestors, but also means that the new owner has officially taken over the authority of the cemetery.
It is worth mentioning that when Zigong entered the cemetery, it did not pass through the big red gate, but opened a gap in the feng shui wall on the side.
This practice applies not only to the emperor and queen, but also to the golden coffins of concubines.
After the Zigong Palace entered, the workers repaired the gap as before.
This unique way of entering the mausoleum highlights the sanctity of the emperor's mausoleum.
After layers of solemn ceremonies, the emperor and queen finally rested in the cemetery.
This is not only the highest tribute to the deceased, but also a sign of the continuation and change of the dynasty.