Imperial Palace (Prince Palace)                         Located in an eastern suburb, seven kilometers from Guilin City, this is an imperial mausoleum site where eleven princes of the Jingjiang Family during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) are buried. The Jingjiang Family is comprised of the descents of King Jingjiang, the nephew of a Ming emperor. During the earlier Ming period, to strengthen the centralization of state power, Ming Emperor Taizu (the first Ming emperor) designated his 24 sons as kings to administer different areas in China. King Jingjiang got his title and built his palace at the foot of Solitary Beauty Peak. The descendent kings chose this mausoleum site as their burial place.                 The site is enclosed by a rectangular red wall. More than 300 tombs are spread over 100 square kilometers. Like         most Chinese mausoleums, a grand sacred way leads to the inner palace with various animal and official stone statues         on each side. There are three routes on the sacred way. The middle one is exclusive for the emperors while the other two         on each side are for officials. At the end of the sacred way inside the inner palace are                    Xian Dian (Prayer Hall) and Bao Cheng (Treasure City). Religious and ancestral prayers are held in Xian Dian and         Bao Cheng is the resting place for the kings.                The one tomb open to the public is that of the third king and his consort. Excavated items include gold, silver, jade,          pottery, porcelain and other antiques. Among them is a precious, elegant porcelain vase.         Solitary Beauty Peak                 Solitary Beauty Peak (Duxiu Peak) stands in solitary grace at the center of the ancient Mansion of Prince Jingjiang         (a noble family in the Ming Dynasty). Towering from the ground with an elevation of 216 meters, it is reputed as         "Sky-Supporting Pillar in the South". During the Southern Dynasty (420-589), some 1500 years ago, Yan Yanzhi, governor         of Guilin, wrote the line: "none can surpass this solitary peak in beauty." hence the name Solitary Beauty Peak.                 At the foot of the peak are Dushu (Study) Rock, Taiping (Peace) Rock and Yueya (Crescent) Pond. On the eastern         side of the hill there are many inscriptions from the Qing dynasty, such as "Southern Sky-supporting Pillar" and "Purple         Gown and Golden Belt." A flight of 396 stone steps leads from the west foot of the hill up to the top, where you can get a         panoramic view of the whole city and all the mountains surrounding it.         Note that this peak is stated in the grounds of the Guangxi Normal College, so visitors may enter only after 2:00 pm.     << Back to Tour in China

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