The Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum is the tomb of the first Ming Dynasty emperor Zhu Yuanzhang and his queen. It lies at the northern foot of Purple Mountain in Nanjing. There are pine trees and cypresses, with a stream winding in the hills. Some famous ancient Buddhist temples and tombs are built here.

Legend says that in order to prevent robbery of the tomb, 13 identical processions of funeral troops started from 13 city gates to obscure the real burying site. The construction of the mausoleum began during the Ming Dynasty in 1381 and ended in 1405, with a huge expenditure of resources involving 100,000 laborers.

On an inscribed stone tablet outside of the gate of the mausoleum, a local official notification in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) is ordered to protect the tomb. Inside the gate, there is a pavilion with 5 steles standing in. The emperor and his queen were buried in a clay vault, 400 meters in diameter. On a stone wall surrounding the vault, 7 Chinese characters were inscribed, identifying the mausoleum of Emperor Ming Taizu.

In the year of 2003, along with the Ming Tombs, Nanjing Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum was inscribed by UNESCO as part of the World Heritage Sites "Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties".