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Changling, Ming Tombs, Beijing (map)
The Hall of Heavenly Favors, Ling'en Dian, is Yongle's sacrificial hall. Another translation of its name is "Hall of Eminent Favor." This magnificent, 9-bay, double-eaved structure rests on a single-tiered platform and is often compared to the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City; the two are, and were, the largest halls of Ming China, with almost identical length and width. Ling'en Dian, however, tries less to impress: it is set upon a lower base, within a much less extensive courtyard, and is not as tall as its Beijing sibling, all of which gives a much different feeling to the building.
The two views of Ling'en Dian, shown here, illustrate different approaches to landscaping around the hall. The luxuriant foliage of 1996 has been cleared for a more austere, "Forbidden City" kind of look in 2006. We don't know which is "right," because there's no record of the actual landscaping when it was built in 1427. Students should keep a skeptical mind, when visiting modern reconstructions of ancient sites!
Inside the hall is a display of relics that were found when Dingling, the Wanli emperor's tomb, was opened in 1956.
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