The Temple and Mausoleum of Yu the Great
2 min readA few miles to the south-east of the city，is Yu’s Temple and Mausoleum，first built in the beginning of the Liang Dynasty（545）.Yu the Great is a well-known legendary hero of the Xia Dynasty（2070 BC-1600 BC）.He is supposed to have performed wonderful feats in controlling flood.He died on a tour of inspection thousand years ago and was buried here.
The Temple of Yu the Great borders on hill and a river.It consists of a group of well-preserved ancient building with three big halls.Starting from the main gate，the three halls are located along a hillslope with one higher than the others.
The second hall is Hall for Sacrifice.It is typical of the architectural style between the Ming and Qing dynasties.With delicate design，the hall shows rich local color.The towering Main Hall is 24 meters high.There are lots of designs of vivid animals and birds on its roofs.In the hill stands the statue of Emperor Yu the Great.
Just a stone’s throw from the temple is Mausoleum of Yu.Why was Yu the Great buried here？In the famous classic Historical Records，Sima Qian wrote “Emperor Yu called the dukes here south of the Yangtze River to have their merits recorded.Soon after he died and was buried here.”Sima Qian was the great historian of the Han Dynasty and he was believed to have made a tour to Shaoxing to explore the tomb of Emperor Yu.
On the hillside near the Temple and Mausoleum of Yu the Great，there is a pavilion.It is called Tombstone Pavilion which is 3 meters in height and 2 meters in circumference.This stone looks quite like a giant egg standing on end，smooth and shining It is believed to be the tombstone that was used for Emperor Yu at his burial.The tombstone has epitaphs from many dynasties since the Han Dynasty.It is of great historical value.
