The Mausoleum of Yu the Great

The Archway

It is at the entrance to the Mausoleum of Yu the Great. It was built in April, 1995, just before the public ceremony to the Mausoleum of Yu the Great was to be held by all circles of Zhejiang and Shaoxing. Jiang Zemin, the general secretary of the Central Committee of the CPC, President of PRC, Chair man of the MCCC of the CPC paid a visit to the Mausoleum of Yu the Great in person on May 15th, 1995. After he returned to Beijing, he wrote the three characters "Da Yu Ling" (the Mausoleum of Yu the Great), which arecarved on the Gateway to the Mausoleum of Yu the Great. The Gateway is of primitive simplicity, stateliness and magnificence. The Paved Boulevard was built in 1995, it is 350 meters long, from the Gateway to the west bank of the Yu Pond. It is paved with bluestone with trees on both sides. And there stand five pairs of mighty, solemn divine animals on both side of the boulevard, which add to the sense of eminence and magnificence.

The Mausoleum Of Yu The Great

The Mausoleum of Yu the Great who was our ancient hero of taming rivers, is Yu's buried place, it lies to the foot of the Kuaiji Mountains, located in the south-east suburb of the city of Shaoxing.Now it is a key unit of preservation of cultural relics proclaimed by the People's Government of the whole country. According to the record,Yu,the Great was ordered to tame the flood for the people who had suffered a lot from the flood. It was Yuwho led the people to fight bitterly with the floods and he didn't even once enter his home while passing by it their times as story goes. At last he achieved success in taming the flood. then he gathered many dukes and officials in Kuaiji(now Shaoxing)to celebrate their great merit. After his death, he was buried at the foot of Kuaiji Mountain. From Han Dynasty, emperors and officials at various dynasties offered sacrifices to Emperor Yu inclusive of Emperor Qin shihuang in 210B.C.and the present Chinese General Party Secretary Jiang Zeming who also paid resent to Emperor Yu and wrote an inscription for the stele of Mausoleum in May,1995.

The Mausoleum is made up of three parts: Temple of Emperor Yu,Mausoleum of Yu and shrine of Emperor Yu.To step forward one hundred yards in the east, is the Stele of Mausoleum Yu erected in Ming Dynasty. The three Chinese characters"Da YuLing"was written by Nan Daji,Magistrate of Shaoxing in Ming Dynasty; To the left of Mausoleum is the Shrine of Emperor Yu.It was firstly built by Emperor Shaokang,a descendant of Yu,the present one of newly built. By the side of the shrine there is the Yu Well Pavilion. In front of it is a pool of limpid water named" the Pool of Freeing Captive Animals". On the right side of the Mausoleum is the Temple of Emperor Yu.The temple's layout is similar to that of imperial Palace. From the south to the north, there are several historical relics Goulou Stele, Meridian Gate, Hall of Worship, and the Magnificent Hall of Emperor Yu.The temple's left and right sides' arrangement is symmetrical and meticulous.

The Yu Clan Temple

The Yu Clan Temple is situated on the southern side of the Mausoleum of Yu the Great. It has been rebuilt in past dynasties. In 1986, the People's Government of Shaoxing rebuilt it on the original site. The temple faces west and consists of the front hall, the back hall and the winding corridor. Descendants of Yu the Great in all places often come here to hold a memorial ceremony for their forefather.

The Yu Temple

The Yu Temple is situated on the northern side of the Mausoleum of Yu the Great. It faces west and consists of a group of palace-like architectures. They are successively the Screen Wall, the Goulou Stele, the Front Gate, the Homage Hall, and the Main Hall from south to north. The architectures are symmetrically arranged. Some are high; others are low. The sight is really vast and magnificent.

The Tombstone Pavilion

The Tombstone Pavilion is on the hillside at the back of the Yu Temple. It is one of the important cultural relics of the Mausoleum of Yu the Great. A tombstone is a tool used for burial. This tombstone is said to be the gravestone of the tomb containing personal effects of Yu the Great. There are several carvings on the stone, either ancient or modern.

The Stele Corridor

The Mausoleum of Yu the Great enjoys high reputation throughout the country and over seas. There are many steles with inscriptions in the scenic zone. The Stele Corridor was built in the 1980s by putting the scattered steles together.

The Butcher's House

The Butcher's House is on the left side of the Front Gate to the Yu Temple. It was the place where livestock such as pigs, cows and goats were butchered and prepared for sacrifices to Yu the Great. It was rebuilt in 1986. At present, it is used as a temporary exhibition hall.

The Feiyin Spring

The spring is beside the Yu Temple and the water from the spring is limpid and sweet. It never dries up all through the year. Tradition has it that Confucius the Sage once sang high praise for Yu the Great. Thus the spring got the name. Beside the spring there stands a pavilion called Feiyin Spring Pavilion. Which was rebuilt in 1933. The story is recorded on a stele.