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the main tower in the Ming Tombs where one can see sweeping views of the Mountains
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The Spirit Way leading to the tombs,provides a wonderful opportunity to admire 18th-century Ming sculptures in their original contex.The site of the Ming Dynasty Imperial Tombs was carefully chosen according to Feng Shui . Leave a Comment
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50 kilometers (30 miles) northwest from Beijing lies the Ming Tombs - the general name given to the mausoleums of 13 emperors of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644). The mausoleums have been perfectly preserved, as has the necropolis of each of the many emperors. The site was chosen by the third Ming Dynasty emperor Yongle (1402–1424), who moved the capital of China from Nanjing to the present location of Beijing. He is credited with envisioning the layout of the ancient city of Beijing as well as a number of landmarks and monuments located therein. After the construction of the Imperial Palace (the Forbidden City) in 1420, the Yongle Emperor selected his burial site and created his own mausoleum. Only the Changling and Dingling tombs are open to the public.
I visited the main tomb of Changling as part of a tour which also included the Great Wall of China at Badaling for RMB130 that my hotel (a Home Inn - see my accommodation tips) had at their reception. This also included lunch, transport, a visit to a duck factory shop and a jade factory shop and a tour guide (although it was in Chinese with other Chinese tourists). More of the Ming Tomb at Changling can be found on my Changling page below:
Open: 8.30am-5.30pm. Admission: RMB45. Leave a Comment
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 Tree lined courtyard in
front of the Soul Tower by JBourne,
4 more photos
The setting is about an hour's drive from the Wangfuging Road and we went by private car with a driver. The area is rural and beautiful, with tree lined roads and crop fields behind. There are mountains surrounding and according to our guide the emperors employed priests/spiritualists to search for the perfect area which balanced Feng Shui.
A lot of time, effort and money went into building these tombs. Logs were brought in from a great distance away for one of the main buildings. It took years to float the enormous logs downstream and costs many lives. These logs (of the Nanmu tree - famed in China for its unmatchable beauty) now make up columns that support the roof of the sacrificial chamber at Changling.
The tombs have an imperial road (spirit way) approaching them and a main hall for worship. Some have smaller buildings surrounding which house statues or pyres for burning tributes, and the burial chambers themselves are underground.
A piece of priceless Chinese treasure is housed here - the imperial golden crown. This is very beautiful and there are many other unearthed archaeological finds exhibited such as swords, pots and jewellery.
The architecture is very much like the forbidden city - the vermillion walls and yellow roof tiles were reserved for imperial use only - but the tombs, in my opinion, are in a more beautiful setting.
NB - the only toilets are holes in the ground, and they aren't pretty.
There are plenty of water sellers too, and trinkets. Address: 30 miles North of BeijingDirections: In the basin of the arc shaped mountains.
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 Soul Tower @ Dingling by cheezecake_deli |
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 by rochellevm
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The Ming Tombs are located in Changping County, about fifty km northwest of Beijing. The tombs, covering a hilly area of 40 acres, was selected in 1409. Dragon Hill lies to the east and Crouching Tiger Hill to the west.
In 1424 the Yongle Emperor, Zhu Di, was the first Ming Emperor to be buried here in his mausoleum called the Changling. He was the third Ming Emperor. His father and founder of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang, was buried in Nanjing. All in, 13 of 16 Ming Emperors were buried in this royal necropolis, including Empresses and many concubines, some buried alive to accompany the Emperor to his "life after death."
Only three tombs are opened to the public - Changling of the Yongle Emperor, Dingling of the Wanli Emperor and Zhaoling of the Longqing Emperor.
Dingling, Tomb of Certainty, is the resting place of the 13th Ming ruler, the useless Wanli Emperor, Zhu Yijun, whose claim to fame was his long life. He ascended the throne at the age of ten years and ruled for 48 years. When the Dingling was completed in 1581 after 6 years of construction & 38 years before his death, he held a grand feast to celebrate his future interment.
The discovery of the entrance to the 27 meter deep underground chamber of Dingling tomb is interesting. A small tablet was unearthed in the vicinity and the Chinese characters indicated a site and a depth. Archaeologists on following the instructions discovered a doorway to Dingling and started evacuation in 1956. Within two years the excavation was completed and the tomb was found to have jewellery and artifacts including jade belts, golden chopsticks and a crown worn by the Wanli Emperor himself. The underground chamber is made up of five marbled hall -- a central hall surrounded by four other halls.
Don't forget to visit the small museum at the Dingling Tomb where you can see the jewellery, artifacts and some photos. Leave a Comment
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 by monica78Leave a Comment Directions: (50 kilometers/31 miles northwest of Beijing) Beijing ChinaOther Contact: Telephone: +86 (10) 65-13-08-28
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 Chillin' on the Sacred Way by amambaw
The entrance to the valley of the Ming Tombs is graced by a small park. This park is basically a long road lined with guardians who watch over the entrance to the Tombs. There is a giant gate that marks the beginning of the road. Once you are through that, you come upon a beautiful tree lined walkway, with stone statues of animals and Chinese dignitaries. The walk is very peaceful: the trees muffle the sounds of nearby cars. Leave a Comment Address: West of BeijingDirections: The Sacred Way is on your way to the Ming Tombs. It is just beyond the entrance gate to the valley.
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 Ming Tombs... by ahoerner
If definitely worths a visit...
Ask before hiring the tour. Leave a Comment Address: Outside Beijing.
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- Cheng Fu
261 Middle Road, North 4th Ring Road Haidian District, Beijing - Beijing News Plaza Hotel
26 Jianguomen Nei Da Jie, Beijing - Beijing Ruicheng Hotel
No.9 Xicui Road, Haidian District, Beijing - Jing Guang New World Hotel
Hu Jia Lou, Chao Yang Qu, Beijing - Rosedale Hotel And Suites Beijing
8 West Jiangtai Road , Chaoyang District, Beijing - Golden Sun Commercial
85 Xibianmennei Street, Xuanwu District, Beijing - The Royal Palace Hotel Beijing
No.6 Xiaoyunli, Xiaoyun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing - Li Shi
No. 18 Lishi Lane, Dong Si Nan Street, Dong Cheng District, Beijing - Tulip Hot Spring Garden Hotel
Dongwei Road, Jinzhan , Chaoyang District, Beijing - Beijing Yindu Hotel
6 South Road, West Loop 3, Fengtai District, Beijing - The Peninsula Palace Beijing
No.8 Jinyu Alley, Wangfujing, Dongcheng District, Beijing - Jianguo Garden Hotel Beijing
17 Jianguomennei Street, Beijing - Hua Wei Apartment Hotel Beijing
130 Xidan North Avenue, Xicheng District, Beijing - Traders Hotel, Beijing
No. 1 Jian Guo Men Wai Avenue, Beijing, Beijing - York Hotel Beijing
45 Ciyunsi, Chaoyang District, Beijing
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