Ming Ancestors Mausoleum

The Ming Ancestors Mausoleum is the first imperial mausoleum complex of the Ming dynasty, and a cenotaph located north of the former Sizhou City, Yangjiadun, in present-day Xuyi County, Huaian City, by Hongze Lake, north of Huai River Jiangsu Province, China. It was built by Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming dynasty, in 1385, for his great-great-grandfather, great-grandfather and grandfather. It is also the actual burial site of Zhu Chuyi, Zhu Yuanzhang's grandfather.

In 1680 during the Qing dynasty, the Yellow River changed its course and merged with the Huai River. The quickly accumulated river sediment blocked the flow of the Huai, creating the large Hongze Lake, which submerged the mausoleum complex, along with the nearby city of Sizhou.Not until the dry season of 1966 did the mausoleum surface. It was initially excavated in 1976.