The Yandi Mausoleum Scenic Area is located on Luyuanpo, 19 kilometers west of Yanling County Seat in Zhuzhou City, Hunan Province. As the resting place of Yandi (Shennong Shi), the ancestor of the Chinese nation, it is honored as the "First Mausoleum in China." The scenic area covers a total planned area of 122.5 square kilometers, with 3.6 square kilometers open to tourists. As a national 5A-level tourist attraction, it is also a National Key Cultural Relic Protection Unit, a National Scenic Area, a National Patriotism Education Demonstration Base, a Cross-strait Exchange Base, and ranks first among the "Top Ten Cultural Landmarks of Hunan Province." Composed of five functional areas—the Sacrificial Area (Shennong Hall), Worship Area (Yandi Mausoleum Hall), Remembrance Area (Shennong Garden), Huangshan Tourist Area, and Mishui Scenic Belt—the area boasts over 110 natural and cultural landscapes. It belongs to the mid-subtropical monsoon humid climate zone, surrounded by mountains, with hilly land and valley plains inside, where the terrain is higher in the south and lower in the north.
History and Culture
Yandi Shennong Shi, leader of the Jiang tribe in ancient times, was the founder of Chinese farming culture, renowned for his remarkable achievements. He invented the leisi (ancient plow) to teach farming, tasted herbs to develop medicine, wove hemp into cloth, established noon markets for trade, created pottery, built the Mingtang (ancestral hall), crafted the qin (zither) from paulownia, initiated wax sacrifices, and made bows and arrows. These contributions laid the foundation for the rise of the Chinese nation. In his later years, Yandi came to Hunan to gather herbs for the people, but died from mistakenly eating Gelsemium and was buried in "the end of Changsha tea township"—today's Luyuanpo, Luyuan Town, Yanling County, Zhuzhou City, Hunan Province.
The Yandi Mausoleum has a history dating back to ancient times, with tombs from the Western Han Dynasty and prosperous sacrifices in the Tang Dynasty. In 967 AD (the 5th year of the Qiande reign in the Song Dynasty), a temple was built in front of the mausoleum with a portrait for worship, establishing a ritual practice of "once every three years." Since then, there have been 51 imperial sacrificial inscriptions and over 20 other steles. The mausoleum temple was renovated 1 time in the Song Dynasty, 3 times in the Ming Dynasty, 9 times in the Qing Dynasty, and 4 times during the Republic of China. After 1949, it underwent further restorations. Since its reopening in 1988, it has received over 10 million visitors, including 800,000 from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and international tourists. More than 30 national leaders, including Jiang Zemin, Hu Yaobang, and Chen Yun, have inscribed for the mausoleum, and over 20 leaders have visited to guide its construction. Large-scale sacrificial ceremonies have been held annually since official sacrifices resumed in 1993. In 2006, the "Yandi Mausoleum Festival" was listed in China's first batch of intangible cultural heritage.
Main Attractions
Yandi Mausoleum Hall
Designed in the architectural style of the Qing imperial palace, the Yandi Mausoleum Hall faces south, with main buildings symmetrically arranged along the north-south axis and flanked by stele chambers. Spanning 104m north-south and 40.5m east-west, covering 4,212㎡, it consists of five consecutive courtyards:
- Meridian Gate (Wumen): The main entrance, fronted by a 50×50m pilgrimage square, with arched Jimen (halberd gates) and rectangular Yemens (side gates) on either side. A white marble stele inscribed with "Yandi Mausoleum" by Jiang Zemin stands at the center, inlaid with a coiled dragon longbi (imperial stairway), flanked by granite carvings of mountain eagles and white deer.
- Worshipping Pavilion (Xingli Ting): For ancestral sacrifices, with a hip roof (wudian ding), 14.03m wide, 5.53m deep, 8.33m high, hung with a plaque inscribed by Zhou Peiyuan: "National Ancestor, Illuminating the World." It features a double-dragon-playing-pearl longbi and houses incense burners for rituals. Stele chambers on both sides preserve 8 residual sacrificial steles.
- Mausoleum Hall (Ling Dian): A double-eave gable-and-hip roof (xieshan ding), 21.16m wide, 16.94m deep, 358.5㎡, 19.33m high, supported by 30 granite columns (60cm diameter). Colored brackets adorn the eaves, with aoyu (mythical fish) ornaments at the ridges. The ceiling features 9,999 colored dragons in golden dragon and dragon-grass patterns. A granite divine platform holds a sandalwood shrine with Yandi's golden statue, inscribed "Heavenly First Ancestor," with a white marble lying dragon longbi in front.
- Tombstone Pavilion (Beiting): A pyramidal roof (cuanjian ding), 7.1m high, 6.4m square, with a white marble tombstone inscribed by Hu Yaobang: "Tomb of Yandi Shennong Shi."
- Tomb Mound: 4.6m high, 50m in circumference, with a stele written by Shen Daokuan, magistrate of Ling County in 1827 (Daoguang 7th year, Qing Dynasty).
Shennong Hall
Located east of the Yandi Mausoleum Hall's central axis, Shennong Hall serves as the public sacrificial area of the first-phase project. Construction began in 2001 with a ¥70 million investment, completing in September 2002. Covering 20,000㎡ with a 1,413㎡ floor area, it is a Qing-style ancient imitation building, 37m wide, 24m deep, 19.6m high, comprising the main hall, side halls, corridors, and two square pavilions. Ten 5.4m-high, 0.8m-diameter granite columns with high-relief coiled dragons (quarried from Fujian) stand in the outer corridor. The central stone statue of Yandi—9.7m high, 8.9m×4.7m base, carved from Fujian Guangze red granite—holds a grain ear and leisi. The left, right, and rear walls feature 5.2-7.9m-high, 53m-long Guangdong red sandstone relief murals (321㎡) praising Yandi's ten merits.
Imperial Stele Garden
Behind the tomb mound, north of the central axis, the Imperial Stele Garden is accessible via archways beside the Tombstone Pavilion. 100m long, covering 6,400㎡ (280㎡ construction), its main feature is an 84m-long hard mountain rolled eave corridor on both sides, inlaid with 51 Ming-Qing imperial sacrificial steles and 5 representative steles from other periods (56 total). The Jiuding Platform at the center—18m-diameter round platform, 9.999m square platform—holds nine 1.2-ton granite tripods, symbolizing supreme national power.
Sacred Fire Platform
East of the sacrificial avenue on Longzhu Mountain south of Shennong Hall, the Sacred Fire Platform was built in 1993 to light the flame for the first "Yanhuang Cup" dragon boat race. 40m high, it features a 3.9m-high, 31m³ brown ignition stone engraved with a 1.5m vermilion pictograph "Yan," resembling a torch. Yuan Longping lit the "Yanhuang Cup" flame here in 1993.
Shennong Garden
In the Remembrance Area, Shennong Garden grows various herbal plants, allowing visitors to learn about Yandi's herbal discoveries while enjoying rare flora. Walking here feels like a dialogue with ancient wisdom.
Local Cuisine
Artemisia Rice Cake
A Yanling specialty, made from fresh artemisia leaves and glutinous rice flour, offering a soft texture and fresh herbal scent. Enjoy it at snack shops or farmhouses around the scenic area.
Hakka Stuffed Tofu
Tofu is hollowed out, stuffed with seasoned meat, then fried or boiled. The tender tofu blends with savory meat for a rich, mellow flavor. Try authentic versions near Hakka settlements in Yanling.
Hakka Ten Dishes
A traditional Hakka banquet including braised pork, white-cut chicken, stuffed tofu, etc. Diverse and flavorful, it showcases Hakka food culture in large restaurants or banquet halls.
Sanjiazi (Fried Dough Twists)
Thin, golden-fried flour twists, crispy and sweet, available at specialty stores or snack stalls.
Yellow Peaches
Yanling's famous yellow peaches are golden, juicy, and sweet, harvested July-August. Buy them at fruit stores or orchards, and experience picking.
Camellia Oil
Extracted from local camellia seeds, rich in nutrients, golden-hued, fragrant—ideal for cooking and health. Purchase at specialty stores.
Black Tea
Yanling black tea features tight strips, dark color, bright red soup, and mellow taste. Find it in tea shops or specialty stores.
Yanling White Goose
Tender and nutritious, Yanling white geese are used in dishes like white-cut goose and braised goose, available at local restaurants.
Cloud Mist Bamboo Shoots
Processed from fresh local bamboo shoots, crisp and tender, suitable for stir-fries or soup. Find them in specialty stores or restaurants.
Tickets
Tickets cost 62 RMB per person.
Search the official WeChat public account "湖南炎帝陵" for updates or online booking.
Opening Hours
Open year-round from 08:00-17:30. Check official updates for seasonal adjustments.
Visiting Route
Recommended one-day route: Morning—enter via Que Gate, visit Huaxia Square, Eagle Deer Square, Five Grains Column, Shengde Forest, then Yandi Mausoleum Hall (Wumen → Xingli Ting → Ling Dian → Beiting → tomb mound). Afternoon—Shennong Hall (sacrificial square, nine-dragon incense burner), view Yandi's statue and murals, then Sacred Fire Platform, Yongfeng Platform, and Shennong Garden. Total walking distance ~3-4km; wear comfortable shoes.
Transportation
- By air: Arrive at Changsha Huanghua International Airport (350km from Yanling County). Rent a car or take a long-distance bus to Yanling, then transfer to the scenic area (4-5h from Changsha).
- By train: Get off at Yanling Station, then take a bus or taxi (30min drive).
- By bus: Direct buses from Zhuzhou, Changsha, Hengyang to Yanling County; transfer to the scenic area (3h from Zhuzhou, 4.5h from Changsha).
- By car: From Changsha: via Shanghai-Kunming Expressway and Wushen Expressway, exit at Yanling West (350km, 4.5h). From Zhuzhou: via Wushen Expressway (200km, 3h). Parking: ¥10/day for small cars, ¥15 for medium, ¥20 for large.
Must-See Attractions
- Yandi Mausoleum Hall: Qing-style architecture with five courtyards, the core worship site exuding solemnity.
- Shennong Hall: Main sacrificial building with coiled dragon columns, Yandi's statue, and merit murals, rich in artistic and cultural value.
- Imperial Stele Garden: Holds Ming-Qing sacrificial steles and the Jiuding Platform, crucial for historical research.
Visiting Tips
- Best seasons: Spring (Mar-May) and autumn (Sep-Nov) for mild weather.
- Check sacrificial schedules in advance to attend ceremonies.
- Hire a guide for deeper insights into Yandi culture at historical sites.
- Read introduction boards in Shennong Garden to learn about herbal plants.
- Buy local products like yellow peaches and camellia oil, but verify quality.
Notes
- Do not touch or carve cultural relics; keep the area clean.
- Maintain silence and ritual decorum in sacrificial areas like Yandi Mausoleum Hall.
- Follow signposted routes and stay within designated areas.
- Plan driving routes ahead; expect traffic jams during peak seasons—depart early.
- Bring sunscreen and mosquito repellent for summer visits.