Stone Horses and Plum Blossoms: Nanjing’s Zhongshan Scenic Area Shines in Spring

“Go to Zhongshan to find the stone horses!” Early in the morning, crowds of tourists gather around the 600-year-old stone horses along the Sacred Way of Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum in Nanjing’s Zhongshan Scenic Area, making it a popular check-in spot in the city.

Home to the world cultural heritage site Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, Zhongshan Scenic Area is characterized by majestic mountains, beautiful waters, ancient cities and magnificent mausoleums. Its approximately 600-meter-long Sacred Way, lined with 12 pairs of stone animals including lions, xiezhi (a mythical beast), camels, elephants, unicorns and horses, is the core attraction for visitors. In recent years, the scenic area has explored its profound cultural heritage, integrating intangible cultural heritage (ICH) with the protection and display of the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, and launching a series of cultural activities.

Recently, a special exhibition titled “Golden Stone Rubbings of the Six Steeds of Zhaoling” at the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum Museum has attracted numerous visitors. Using the ancient Nanjing municipal-level ICH technique of golden stone rubbing, replicas of the Zhaoling stone horses are made into rubbings for display, allowing people to admire the six steeds nearby. Appreciating these rubbings in the Year of the Horse conveys people’s good wishes for “taking the lead” and “achieving immediate success” in the new year.

In a study room near the exhibition hall, a dozen primary school students sit around long tables learning traditional rubbing techniques. Every step—cleaning the stone surface, applying paper, tapping and inking—requires careful attention. During this Spring Festival and winter vacation, the ICH inheritance center has launched a one-day ICH experience study tour, sowing the seeds of ICH inheritance in children’s hearts.

With nearly 20 cultural and museum venues, Zhongshan Scenic Area holds more than 800 ICH experience activities every year. Supported by the “ICH into Scenic Areas” initiative, it received nearly 40 million visitors in 2025, a year-on-year increase of 5.26%.

After the exhibition, a faint fragrance of plum blossoms fills the air. At Plum Blossom Mountain, known as “the best plum mountain in the world”, early-blooming varieties such as “Pink Cinnabar” and “Nanjing Early Red” are in full bloom. As Nanjing’s city flower, plum blossoms take center stage in the upgraded “Spring Arrives at Plum Blossom Mountain” series of activities this year.

In the Plum Blossom Art Center, a joint exhibition of botanical scientific paintings has just opened; in Plum Blossom Valley, visitors encounter the parading “Five Blessings Flower Gods”; at the “Indus ICH Market”, stalls featuring paper-cutting, tie-dyeing and rubbing are lined up, attracting many young people to experience the traditional crafts.

Efforts are being made to integrate culture, technology and study tours, creating an immersive cultural and tourism picture that connects the ancient and the modern through cross-border cooperation, allowing the centuries-old Zhongshan Scenic Area to be seen, touched and understood by more people.