Mu Ling at the Qing Western Tombs: The Luxurious Tomb of a Frugal Emperor

Mu Ling at the Qing Western Tombs: The Luxurious Tomb of a Frugal Emperor Located in Yixian, Baoding, Hebei, Mu Ling in the Qing Western Tombs is the mausoleum of the Qing Dynasty Emperor Daoguang (Aisin Gioro Minning, 1820–1850). It was constructed from the eleventh year (1831) to the fifteenth year (1835) of the Daoguang era. The Daoguang mausoleum was originally planned to be located at Baohua Valley in the Qing Eastern Tombs, but unfortunately encountered a water leakage accident during construction, which led to the selection of the higher terrain of Longquan Valley in the Western Tombs for reconstruction. Mu Ling deliberately sought simplicity, reducing many regulations, but in reality, it was understated luxury. The Long'en Hall and the east and west side halls were all made of Phoebe zhennan wood, and thousands of dragons were carved using high-relief and openwork techniques. This is truly unique among the Eastern and Western Qing Tombs.