Located at the foot of the Purple Mountain is the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum. It is the final resting place of Zhu Yuanzhang, the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty , and his wives. Construction of the mausoleum spanned from 1381 to 1405. It's said that when the emperor passed away, 13 funeral processions were held, each with a different destination. Palace staff hoped this would prevent potential plunderers from robbing the tomb. The original mausoleum wall stretched more than 22.5 km. The mausoleum was in 2003 listed by UNESCO as a world cultural heritage site.