The site, on the southern slope
of Tianshou Mountain, enclosed by the mountains in a pristine, quiet valley
full of dark earth, tranquil water was chosen based on the principles of feng
shui by the third Ming emperor, the Yongle Emperor. According to the fengshui
principles, bad spirits and evil winds descending from the North must be
deflected; therefore, an arc-shaped valley area at the foot of the mountains was
chosen. The Yongle Emperor selected his burial site and created his own
mausoleum here, nemed the Changling Tomb.
The succeeding twelve emperors
had their resting places built around Changling during the next 230 years,
covering a total area of over 120 square kilometers. This is the best preserved
mausoleum area with the most emperors buried.
Known for its trade expansion to
the outside world that established cultural ties with the West, the Ming
Dynasty is also remembered for its drama, literature and world-renowned
porcelain.
The Ming Dynasty saw a publishing
boom in China, with an avalanche of affordable books being produced for
commoners. Reference books were popular, as well as religious tracts, primary
school books, Confucian literature and
civil service examination guides. It was during the Ming Dynasty that
full-length novels began to grow in popularity. Many books were adaptations of
ancient story cycles that had been part of oral traditions for centuries.
One of the best-loved exports of
the Ming Dynasty was its porcelain. The Ming dynasty saw an extraordinary
period of innovation in ceramic manufacture. Created by grinding china-stone, mixing it
with china-clay and then baking until translucent, the technique was developed
during the Tang Dynasty, but perfected in the Ming era. Though various colors
might be featured on a piece, the classic Ming porcelain was white and blue.
END
Source : Wikipedia
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