Beneath the shadow of Treasure Mound, a silent sentinel stands guard over secrets of the Ming Dynasty. This isn’t just a hill. It’s a vault of history, a place where fact intertwines with legend surrounding the first Ming emperor, Zhu Yuanzhang. Treasure Mound, part of the Xiaoling Mausoleum, is believed to conceal his underground palace. This enormous project, consisting of 20 large buildings, took 40 years and 100,000 laborers to construct. Yet, whispers persisted, claiming Zhu Yuanzhang wasn’t interred within Treasure Mound. Tales circulated, pointing to other locations like Chaotian Palace in Nanjing or beneath Jingshan Hill in Beijing. The most outlandish rumor involved 13 identical coffins, carried from 13 different city gates.
Treasure Mound itself is a circular hill, about 70 meters high and 400 meters across. A brick wall, known as the Treasure Wall, encircles it. Before this wall stands the Soul Tower. If the legends are true, beneath Treasure Mound lies the entrance to Zhu Yuanzhang’s final resting place. The very ground here speaks of a complicated past. Early surveys of Treasure Mound using geomagnetic technology were hampered by interference, not from metal, but from bricks. These bricks, dating back to the Six Dynasties, predate the Ming by over 700 years. Their presence adds another layer of intrigue to Treasure Mound. How did bricks from a much earlier era become part of this later mausoleum? And why do they emit such a strong magnetic signal?
Despite the initial interference, the surveys eventually revealed a tunnel beneath Treasure Mound’s axial line. This discovery hinted at the presence of a tomb passage. The axial line itself begins at the character “Tai,” inscribed on the Treasure Mound’s south wall. Further exploration unearthed an unexpected geological divide. Dulongfu hill, where Treasure Mound is located, is composed of two different types of rock. This geological boundary runs remarkably close to the axial line, suggesting that the construction of the underground palace might have been affected by this difficult-to-cut rock. East of the axial line, another tunnel emerged, stretching from east to west. This tunnel continued consistently through several survey grids, finally leading to a room-like structure beneath Treasure Mound. One end of this room was closed, the other stretched toward the Soul Tower. Intriguingly, a horn-shaped opening extended south, directly beneath the Soul Tower.
Following the western tunnel led directly to the Soul Tower. To continue, one would have to enter a tunnel beneath the tower. However, the strong interference within the Soul Tower posed a significant obstacle to any readings. Yet, upon entering the tunnel, there was no interference. Inside, another passage descended downwards, connecting back to the earlier tunnel discovered east of the axial line. This 8-meter wide, 120-meter long passage, is believed to be the true entrance to the underground palace. This discovery, coupled with large fissures found in the Treasure Wall, strongly suggests that Zhu Yuanzhang was indeed buried beneath Treasure Mound. The positioning of the tomb entrance, off the axial line, echoes the layout of the Dingling Tomb in Beijing and the Eastern Mausoleum, the tomb of Zhu Yuanzhang’s son.
Scattered across Treasure Mound are piles of smooth, polished stones, remnants of the construction process. These stones, cobblestones from the riverside, echo similar findings at the Dingling Tomb. Their presence here offers a glimpse into the sheer scale of the project. Despite the extensive surveys, much of Treasure Mound remains shrouded in mystery. Was the tomb robbed? Did the collapsing sections of the mound offer an opportunity for thieves? These questions linger. Treasure Mound at Xiaoling Mausoleum is more than just a historical site. It’s a treasure chest of unanswered questions. A place where whispers of the past continue to echo through the present day.