CHAPTER II - THE MING TOMBS

Summary

“Every one who has a little time to spare at Nanking should go and see the ruins of the Ming tombs. Tien-wang's palace may be interesting with its red and gold dragons and other monstrosities; the Porcelain Tower may be worth the trouble of a looting expedition among its bricks; but neither of them has such an interest attaching to it as the Golden Pearl Mountain, beneath which repose the remains of his Majesty Choo, first monarch of the Ming dynasty. The place is awkwardly situated for visitors; you cannot run thither, nor ride, nor walk, without going in a roundabout direction over a great extent of road. From the river it is ten miles as the path goes, six perhaps as the crow flies, by the moat around the city it is a good fifteen, and one has to walk four miles after leaving the boat. When Admiral Hope left Nanking the Celestial authorities closed the Taiping Gate, by going through which, after traversing the city, you could get to the tombs tolerably comfortably, rowing half the distance and walking the other half. The best way to go if you have a good crew to your boat is along the city moat as far as you can proceed, that is to say until the moat begins to wind out into the country away from the city walls; then put your chow-chow on some coolies' shoulders and walk to the foot of the hills.