The Emperor Who Confronted Britain: Why Daoguang Built a Modest Mausoleum- Chinatravel

The emperor who faced the opium war lies in China's most minimalist imperial tomb. Why so understated? This tomb is called Mu Ling, the mausoleum of the Daoguang Emperor 1821-1815. It is located in the western Qing tombs in Yi County, Hebei, rather than in the The Daoguang Emperor was the 8th Emperor of China's Qing Dynasty. His contemporary in Europe was roughly Queen Victoria of Britain. In his early years, the Daoguang Emperor showed a notable initiative, dispatching troops to recover Xinjiang. However, in his determination to suppress Britain's opium struggling into China, the country became embroiled in the opium war with Britain, which ended in China's defeat. The Daoguang Emperor was then forced to sign the Treaty of Nanking, making China's formal entry into the modern international system of sovereignty. One could say that the life of the Daoguang Emperor was anything but ordinary. Remarkably, his tomb is located not in the eastern Qing tombs, but in the western Qing tombs, making it even more unusual. North-east of Yi County in Hebei, about 200 kilometers away, in Zunhua, lies a desolate ruin. This is the site of the Daoguang Emperor's first imperial tomb. At the time, the construction of this tomb was nearly complete, and his consort, Empress Xiaomu, had already been entered here. However, it is said that Empress Xiaomu appeared to the Daoguang Emperor in a dream, warning him that the underground palace had been severely flooded. When the Emperor personally inspected the tomb, he indeed found water rising up to his calves. He therefore decisively ordered the tomb to be abandoned. What we see on camera now, this sunken pit, is the remains of that forsaken underground palace. As a result, the Daoguang Emperor had to relocate his mausoleum from the eastern Qing tombs to the western Qing tombs. To prevent the underground palace from flooding again, he drastically reduced the scale of the complex, making this mausoleum relatively small compared with other Ming and Qing imperial tombs. However, the stone-carving craftsmanship of the entire mausoleum is remarkably intricate. The very first structure of the complex is the five-arched stone bridge. On the arch of this bridge, one can see exquisitely carved water-absorbing beads. These carvings are rendered in a highly three-dimensional style, reflecting the Daoguang Emperor's deep fear that his mausoleum might once again be flooded. The gate in front is called the Dragon Phalanx Gate. It has three rectangular doorways and several glass-tiled screen walls. The name expresses the wish that the Emperor and Empress remain united in the afterlife. As is customary, behind the Dragon Phalanx Gate stands the Spirit Way Stele Pavilion. Inside, the inscription recalls the posthumous title conferred on the Daoguang Emperor by his son, the Xianfeng Emperor. The carvings on the pavilion's doorways are exceptionally refined and ornate, another indication of the considerable expense invested in constructing the mausoleum. Behind the Spirit Way Stele Pavilion stands the former main gate of the mausoleum, the Long'en Gate. The plaque above the gate bears inscriptions in three scripts, Manchu, Chinese, and Mongolian. The name Long'en in Chinese literally means Summer Grace. Passing through the Long'en Gate, we can see at the far end of the plaza, where the Hall of Long'en stands. The Hall of Long'en was the central site for rituals in Ming and Qing imperial mausoleums, combined with the Euro-grand scale of Qing mausoleums. However, this particular hall appears rather mini-major, yet its construction materials were among the most precious of the time. Golden-threaded Nanmu Wood In traditional Chinese culture, golden-threaded nanmu was believed to ward off evil and symbolize wealth and nobility. By the Qing period, it was rarely used in mausoleums due to its courts. The Daoguang Emperor's Tomb is a rare exception. Employing this costly wood extensively, through its use, he hoped to protect his underground palace from once again being flooded by water. In addition to the use of precious golden-threaded nanmu wood, the Hall of Long'en at Mulin features a total of 1096 carved dragons. In traditional Chinese culture, dragons were believed to have the power both to support water and to absorb it. That is why so many dragon figures were carved here. The Daoguang Emperor hoped they would draw the moisture away from his underground palace. This shows just how deeply concerned he was about protecting his tomb from water damage. In reality, although the Daoguang Emperor was defeated in the war between China and Britain, the blame can't be placed entirely on him. By that time, Britain was already a modern constitutional monarchy, while China remained a traditional feudal empire. The two nations differed sharply in their systems of fiscal mobilization, social organization, and military structure. The Daoguang Emperor was remarkably diligent in the daily affairs of governance. He often worked more than 10 hours a day handling state business. He also hoped that his devotion to duty would inspire future generations. That is why, on the terrace in front of the Hall of Long'en, stands a traditional Chinese sundial, an instrument that tells time by the shadow cast by the sun. By placing this device within his mausoleum, the Daoguang Emperor wished that future emperors, when coming to pay their respects, would always remember the austere injunction to govern diligently and care for the people. In addition to his diligence, the Daoguang Emperor was also known for his deep filial piety toward his parents. His father was the Jiaqing Emperor, and his mother was Empress Xiao Shurui. The mausoleum of this imperial couple is located near the Daoguang Emperor's own tomb. On the eastern side of the terrace before the Hall of Long'en, stands a stone Buddhist pillar, the Daoguang Emperor inscribed several poems on it. In essence, these poems convey that his decision to move his mausoleum from the eastern Qing tombs to the western Qing tombs was not merely due to concerns about flooding, though that was the common explanation. His deeper wish was that even after death, he might remain close to his parents, as though accompanying them for eternity. From this perspective, although the Daoguang Emperor went to considerable lengths to relocate his mausoleum, he truly embodied the traditional Chinese ideal of a ruler devoted to filial piety. The Daoguang Emperor's remembrance of his parents and ancestors is reflected not only in the motifs of the Long'en Hall, but also in the overall designs of his mausoleum. Unlike any other imperial tombs, directly in front of Daoguang's underground palace stands a monumental stone Haifeng, a ceremony gateway built entirely of stone. It is said that the emperor himself had a strong fascination with such structures during his lifetime. In reality, however, his construction here drew inspiration from the tomb of the Qing Dynasty's second emperor Hong Taiji, which also features a stone Haifeng. By replicating this form, Daoguang sought to pay tribute to Hong Taiji, whose civil and military achievements had laid the foundation for the unification of China. For the defeated Daoguang, this gesture was also meant as a way to encourage both himself and his descendants. Behind the stone Haifeng stands, as customary in Ming and Qing imperial mausoleums, the site of five star-offering vessels. This arrangement borrowed from Buddhist ritual practice symbolizes internal incense, internal light, and internal fragrance. Behind the five star-offering vessels lies the resting place of the Daoguang emperor and his three empresses. In front of the underground palace, we can see several broad terraces or large raised platforms. Those terraces were deliberately built to elevate the entire underground palace, so that it would be protected from flooding. A clever solution for drainage and waterproofing, to save both labor and cost. Moving departed from the usual layout of Qing imperial tombs, the typical Fangchen Minglou square walled tower was omitted. Instead, above the underground palace stands only a circular mound known as Baoding, marking the burial site. Strictly speaking, the imperial throne of China should never have passed into the hands of the Daoguang emperor. His father, the Jiaqing emperor, had long noticed many flaws in this song, above all, a lack of vision, and an extreme stinginess. For birthdays, while Daoguang was still a prince, he and his wives would often celebrate with nothing more than a single bowl of noodles, even in the Forbidden City. Their nightly meals were said to consist of plain steamed buns and boiled water. According to Qing custom, an emperor's edict of succession was to keep on his person. Yet, when Jiaqing passed away, no such edict was found on his body. It was only with the biking of his adoptive mother and key officials that Daoguang was placed on the throne. This has led some to believe that Jiaqing emperor may have been preparing to alter the edict and designate another heir, but died before he could do so. His son's excessive fragility may well have been one of the reasons Jiaqing hesitated. The consequences of Daoguang's parsimony were far-reaching. During the First Pyramid War, China raised large armies and built new weapons in an effort to resist Britain. But once the war ended, Daoguang, seeking to cut state expenses, disbanded those very troops and scrapped the weapons. His short-sightedness and miscellaneous were all too evident, leaving China unable to keep pace with the modernizing powers of the world, large enough to persuade lasting political and economic reform. The underground palace of the Daoguang emperor's mausoleum has never been excavated and remains closed to the public. Yet, this impure mausoleum, with its remarkable architectural simplicity, still holds great value for visitors. So welcome to the Western Qing Tombs in Yi County, Hebei, to experience this royal resting place, simple yet far from ordinary.