The original title is not known. However, the picture is recognized as being that of the ShenGong ShengDe Stele (inscribed tablet) Pavilion, that is an integral part of the Sacred Way (aka Spirit Way) of the Ming Tombs just outside of Beijing PRC. The image seems to have been taken c1900, and attribution is not known [RESTORED]. I retouched out the obvious spots and defects, evened the tone of the sky, adjusted contrast and tone.

The Ming Tombs have not always been a very popular attraction. For hundreds of years, they basically sat with little interest by the general population. To date, only one of the 13 known tombs has been excavated (and even that was a disaster). Except for a few passing westerners who took pictures of the Disney-esque over sized stone animals, the whole complex was widely and generally ignored. If that wasn't bad enough, during the mid 20th century, upheavals within the PRC caused the one known opened underground necropolis (that of Emperor Zhū Yìjūn 朱翊鈞 aka Wanli) to be ransacked and almost destroyed by political extremism. According to a notation in wiki:

"Dingling (Chinese: 定陵; pinyin: Dìng Lìng; literally "Tomb of Stability"), one of the tombs at the Ming Dynasty Tombs site, is the tomb of the Wanli Emperor. It is the only one of the Ming Dynasty Tombs to have been excavated. It also remains the only imperial tomb to have been excavated since the founding of the People's Republic of China, a situation that is almost a direct result of the fate that befell Dingling and its contents after the excavation.

The excavation of Dingling began in 1956, after a group of prominent scholars led by Guo Moruo and Wu Han began advocating the excavation of Changling, the tomb of the Yongle Emperor, the largest and oldest of the Ming Dynasty Tombs. Despite winning approval from premier Zhou Enlai, this plan was vetoed by archaeologists because of the importance and public profile of Changling. Instead, Dingling, the third largest of the Ming Tombs was selected as a trial site in preparation for the excavation of Changling. Excavation completed in 1957, and a museum was established in 1959.

The excavation revealed an intact tomb, with thousands of items of silk, textiles, wood, and porcelain, and the bodies of the Wanli Emperor and his two empresses. However, there was neither the technology nor the resources to adequately preserve the excavated artifacts. After several disastrous experiments, the large amount of silk and other textiles were simply piled into a storage room that leaked water and wind. As a result, most of the surviving artifacts today have severely deteriorated, and replicas are instead displayed in the museum. Furthermore, the political impetus behind the excavation created pressure to quickly complete the excavation. The haste meant that documentation of the excavation was poor. A severer problem soon befell the project, when a series of political mass movements swept the country. This escalated into the Cultural Revolution in 1966. For the next ten years, all archaeological work was stopped. Wu Han, one of the key advocates of the project, became the first major target of the Cultural Revolution, and was denounced, and died in jail in 1969. Fervent Red Guards stormed the Dingling museum, and dragged the remains of the Wanli Emperor and empresses to the front of the tomb, where they were posthumously "denounced" and burned. Many other artifacts were also destroyed.

It was not until 1979, after the death of Mao Zedong and the end of the Cultural Revolution, that archaeological work recommenced in earnest and an excavation report was finally prepared by those archaeologists who had survived the turmoil. The lessons learned from the Ding Ling excavation has led to a new policy of the People's Republic of China government not to excavate any historical site except for rescue purposes. In particular, no proposal to open an imperial tomb has been approved since Dingling, even when the entrance has been accidentally revealed, as was the case of the Qianling Mausoleum. The original plan, to use Dingling as a trial site for the excavation of Changling, was abandoned."

The ShenGong ShengDe Stele Pavilion (aka the Tablet Pavilion) is the third structure that one would encounter upon entering the Ming Tomb complex (The first being the Stone Memorial Archway, and the second being Dahong Gate). Beyond it lies the long walkway with the famous statues of stone animals and Ming ofiicials. It is also known as the Stele Pavilion of Divine Merits and Sacred Virtue of Changling. The pavilion was completed in 1435 during the 10th and last reigning year of Ming Emperor Zhū Zhānjī 朱瞻基 (ruled 1425-1435). It was originally of wood construction, but after a roof collapse the structure was replaced with one of stone, completed during the 52nd year of Qing Emperor Hónglì's 弘曆 (aka Qianlong) reign, in 1787 (ruled 1735-1796). The pavilion houses a 50 ton stele, with an inscription composed by Ming Emperor Zhū Gāochì 朱高熾 (aka RenZong, ruled 1424-1425). The text lauds the great achievements, merits and virtues of his predecessor, Ming Emperor Zhū Dì 朱棣 (aka Yongle, ruled 1402-1424), that was buried in the Changling Tomb. The back and side of the stele also bears poems by Qing Emperors Hónglì 弘曆 and Yóngyǎn 顒琰 (aka Jiaqing, ruled 1796-1820). Four white marble HuaBiaos (ie ornamental pillars) outside form a quadrangle; the pavilion is positioned in the middle of the four pillars, in a direct line with the seven kilometer long path known as the Sacred or Spirit Way.

Luckily, China and it's people have awoken to the value of preserving its history, and cultural locations like the Tombs have been safeguarded from further decay. There is little rush to open up any of the other sealed underground vaults until the PRC government is assured that the contents, once removed, can be fully protected. In one sense, I lament that I won't be around to see it. But on the other hand, my children, or their children; and indeed, the Chinese people as a whole, would have the benefit of a recovered culture that would better withstand the rigors of time. That's probably the best outcome that any historian can wish for.

NDC Code	Dosage Form	Route	Category
63941-402	POWDER	ORAL	OTC MONOGRAPH DRUG
68016-400	LOTION	TOPICAL	OTC MONOGRAPH DRUG
72854-142	KIT	ORAL	OTC MONOGRAPH DRUG
68016-413	LOTION	TOPICAL	OTC MONOGRAPH DRUG
68016-415	LIQUID	TOPICAL	OTC MONOGRAPH DRUG

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