Yangshan Quarry Stone: Yongle Emperor's 31,000-ton monument abandoned unfinished. Ordered by Emperor Yongle (Yongdi) in 1405 Would have stood over 240 feet tall, taller than Statue of Liberty Three parts: 53 ft pedestal, 167 ft stone slab, 33 ft crown
The Yangshan Quarry Stone - Emperor Yongle's ambitious plan for a monument taller than the Statue of Liberty. Workers who failed to meet quotas faced severe punishment including execution. The giant slab was ABANDONED - too heavy to transport! He settled for a 30-ft version instead 🏛️
Key facts:
- Ordered by Emperor Yongle in the early 15th century (early 1400s)
- Would have stood over 230 feet tall, taller than the Statue of Liberty
- Three parts: roughly 52 ft pedestal, 164 ft stone slab, plus crown
- Combined weight estimated at approximately 57,000 tons
- Workers failing daily quotas faced severe punishment including execution
Key Facts
- Ordered by Emperor Yongle (Yongdi) in 1405
- Would have stood over 240 feet tall, taller than Statue of Liberty
- Three parts: 53 ft pedestal, 167 ft stone slab, 33 ft crown
- Combined weight would exceed 31,000 tons
- Workers failing daily quota of one cubic foot of crushed rock were executed on spot
- Village of Fento (Grave Mound) named where workers were buried
- Abandoned because monolith was too large to transport
- Emperor settled for smaller 30-ft memorial (Xia Gong Shen) instead
- Yongle also rebuilt Grand Canal, moved capital to Beijing, built Forbidden City, launched Zheng He's treasure fleets
Related site: Yangshan Quarry — view location, images, and history on the Ancient Nerds map.
Source: 5 Unexplained Ancient Artifacts Cut from a Single Stone by Dark5 Ancient Mysteries