With the lake as its mirror, the scene evokes the spirit of a living Monet masterpiece. The golden reflections of bald cypresses on the tranquil waters of a Nanjing lake blur the boundary between reality and illusion, forging a surprising fusion of nature and art.
The natural allure is part of the winter charm of the imperial Xiaoling Mausoleum, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Nanjing. Dating back over 600 years, this imperial site houses the tomb of Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).
As one of China’s largest imperial tomb complexes, it stands as a testament to the stone-carving essence of its era. Recognized as part of the “Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties,” Xiaoling Mausoleum was inscribed onto the UNESCO list in July, 2003, alongside the Ming Tombs in Beijing.