Speaking of Zhu Yuanzhang's mausoleum, Xiaoling,
This is the first of the Ming Dynasty's imperial tombs
The area of the underground palace alone has reached more than 4,000 square meters, and the construction period before and after has reached 25 years, and the labor force mobilized has exceeded 100,000 people, and the scale is second to none in the tombs of the emperors of previous dynasties.
But what is strange is that in the past, unless the mausoleum was not discovered, as long as it was found, it would not escape the clutches of tomb robbers, especially the tombs of some royal nobles, don't look at the infinite scenery when he lived, and when he died, he would not necessarily be able to get peace.
This is because the funerary items inside are all valuable antiques, as long as they can steal the ground, they can get rid of poverty and get rich as soon as they change hands, and having money can make ghosts push and grind, let alone people who eat grains?
However, Zhu Yuanzhang's imperial tomb was there in a dignified manner, and after more than six hundred years, no one dared to dig it
Why? Don't they covet the gold and silver treasures in them?
In fact, it is not that the tomb robbers do not want to steal, but that this is too well protected.
The protection of the Ming Tombs can be divided into three historical periods: the Ming, the Qing and the Republic of China.
During the Ming Dynasty
First of all, during the Ming Dynasty, it is needless to say that the Ming Xiaoling Tomb is the ancestral tomb of the Zhu family according to the popular understanding of the common people, and this ancestor is the founding emperor of the dynasty.
Because of this, tomb robbers generally do not attack the tombs of the imperial family of this dynasty when choosing, which is the most risky and the most serious consequences, so during the Ming Dynasty, the mausoleums have always been safe and sound.
During the Qing Dynasty
After the Manchu Qing Iron Cavalry entered the pass, the rulers eliminated the remnants of the Ming Dynasty while also attaching importance to the protection of the former imperial tombs.
Because they are ethnic minorities, they must try to avoid contradictions between Manchu and Han during their reign, which can not only alleviate the Manchu-Han conflict to a certain extent, but also win people's hearts.
Shortly after Shunzhi ascended the throne, and the Central Plains were not completely stable, Dorgon sent high officials to pay tribute to the emperors of the Ming Dynasty. The following year, Duo Duo also went to Ming Xiaoling to pay homage, and later sent dozens of troops to guard it.
Later generations of Kangxi attached the greatest importance to Ming Xiaoling, and he had to kneel three times and nine times every time he went, and he actually went five times before and after. During the Xianfeng period, due to the appearance of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, the surface of the Ming Tomb was seriously damaged, and later under the supervision of Zeng Guofan, it took a lot of money to repair it.
During the Xuan reunification years, the government began to put notices in a conspicuous position in front of the ming tombs, warning the people that it was strictly forbidden to scribble. The Ming Tombs were more well protected.
Republic of China period
During the Republic of China period, although the internal chaos of the country led to the excavation of the Qing Tombs by Sun Dianying, the Ming Tombs were still well protected! In fact, in the final analysis, the reason why the Qing Tombs were stolen and excavated was because of people's dissatisfaction with manchu rule, especially Empress Dowager Cixi, and every decision she made deeply stung everyone's heart.
After the fall of the Qing Dynasty, the imperial tombs of the Qing Dynasty were no longer protected, and Sun Dianying not only chose to steal the Qing Dongling Tombs not only for the sake of the countless rare treasures in the mausoleum, but also for the ability to vent his long-term inner resentment.
The Ming Tombs, on the other hand, have long been not only well protected, but also compared to the last feudal dynasty ruled by the Han Chinese.
Therefore, there is still reverence in people's hearts
Therefore, during the Republic of China period, the Ming Tombs were never stolen by these warlords.
Other reasons
In fact, the reason why the Ming Tombs were not stolen, in addition to being protected, its own anti-theft design and special geographical location also played a key role.
If you can see from the map, the Ming Tombs are surrounded by mountains and rivers, and the momentum is built according to the mountains, but it is not the straight line construction used by the previous royal mausoleums, but the winding and meandering form of the mountain, adding a depth of more than 2600 meters, unless it is a national force, it is difficult to excavate the Ming Tombs.
Reference: History of the Ming Dynasty