He never became an emperor, yet he possesses the most beautiful imperial mausoleum

Xianling is the joint burial mausoleum of Emperor Jiajing's father, Emperor Gongruixian Zhu Youyuan (King Xingxian of Ming Ruizong), and his mother, Empress Cixiaoxian (Empress Dowager Zhangsheng). Xianling was transformed from the tomb of King Xingxian, took 47 years to complete, and is the only Ming dynasty imperial mausoleum in central and southern China, as well as the largest single imperial mausoleum of the Ming dynasty. Xianling played a pivotal role in the imperial mausoleum system of the Ming dynasty, and its 'one mausoleum with two mounds' structure is a unique case among imperial mausoleums throughout Chinese history. Xianling was the result of the significant mid-Ming dynasty event known as the 'Great Rites Controversy'.