Category:Tombs of the Southern Dynasties

English: Tombs of emperors and dignitaries of the Southern Dynasties (Liu Song, Qi, Liang, Chen), which existed in southern China during 420-589. These dynasties' capital was usually in Jiankang (Nanjing), and their tombs are mostly located in the eastern suburbs of Nanjing (Qixia and Jiangning Districts), as well as in the city of Danyang, farther east. The tomb ensembles (shendao, or spirit ways), surviving to this day in situ in various degrees of preservation, include a number of winged felines, known to the early western authors as "[Chinese] chimaeras" or "[Chinese] unicorns", and to the Chinese researchers as bixie and qilin. They also include some of the earliest turtle-mounted stelae. Some the figures have been moved to the Nanjing Museum, and a few probably can be found in museums elsewhere.