The stone monument, consisting of three parts: a base, a body, and a top, stands over 70 meters tall and is made from mountain rock, so massive that it cannot be moved and is left in a state of neglect.
The Ancient Quarry of Yangshan is located on the hills near the ancient capital of Nanjing, southeast China. The limestone from the Yangshan quarry has been extracted since the Liu Chao period (early 3rd century to late 6th century) and was used for constructing buildings, city walls, and statues in and around Nanjing. Notably, after Zhu Yuanzhang established the Ming dynasty in 1368, the Yangshan quarry became the primary source of stone for significant construction projects that transformed the face of Nanjing.
The body and top of the stone monument at Yangshan quarry. (Photo: Megalithic China).
Today, the Yangshan quarry is no longer as glorious. However, history enthusiasts still visit the site to admire a colossal stone monument that remains unfinished.
Emperor Yongle (real name Zhu Di) commissioned the monument with the intention of erecting this monolithic stone at the tomb of his father, Zhu Yuanzhang. Yongle was one of China’s great emperors, but he was also ruthless, torturing and executing anyone who rebelled against his dynasty.
In 1405, Emperor Yongle ordered the cutting of a massive stone at the Yangshan quarry. The stone was to be cut into three separate parts: a rectangular base, a tall and flat body, and a decorated top. Yongle wanted the memorial for his father to be the largest in China. The dimensions he requested from the engineers were extremely impressive: the base was to be 16 meters tall and 30 meters long, the body 50 meters tall, and the top 10 meters tall. If completed and assembled, the monument would stand over 70 meters tall.
Thousands of workers spent years clearing the hillside and carving stone from the mountain. According to accounts, workers who did not meet the daily stone quota would be executed on the spot. To commemorate those who died on the job, including those who succumbed to overwork and illness, a nearby village was named Fentou, or “Mound of Graves”.
The base of the stone monument (near the center of the image), the body and the top (upper right corner). (Photo: Megalithic China).
With immense labor and costs, the three parts of the monument were nearly completely hewn from the mountain. However, the engineers realized the emperor’s folly: there was no way to move the massive stone, which weighed a total of 31,000 tons, from the quarry to the tomb site.
As a result, the project was abandoned, and Emperor Yongle had to commission a much smaller monument. The new monument was installed at the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum in 1413, consisting of a stone tortoise supporting a carved stone slab, topped with hornless dragons. Although it stood only 9 meters tall, it remained an impressive memorial.
The stone monument at Yangshan quarry represents a wasted effort, but Emperor Yongle accomplished many great things for China. He ordered the renovation of the Grand Canal – a waterway connecting northern and southern China. He moved the capital from Nanjing to Beijing, constructing the Forbidden City, a monumental architectural work that served as the residence of Chinese emperors for centuries.
Emperor Yongle also commissioned the Nanjing Porcelain Tower, one of the wonders of the world before it was destroyed during the rebellion in 1856. He promoted maritime exploration, helping to expand China’s influence as far as Africa and the Middle East.
