Ming Tombs (Changling and Dingling)

UNESCO World Heritage Site (Imperial Tombs Of The Ming And Qing Dynasties, 2003); National 5A Tourist Attraction · Beijing, Beijing

The imperial burial valley of the Ming dynasty, where thirteen emperors were laid to rest between 1409 and 1644 beneath the Tianshou Mountains, about 50 km northwest of central Beijing. The Yongle Emperor, builder of the Forbidden City, chose the site for its perfect feng shui, and each later emperor added a tomb with its own gates, halls and burial mound. The approach, the Sacred Way, runs for kilometres through a great stone gateway and past pairs of giant stone lions, camels, elephants, mythical beasts, generals and officials carved in the 15th century. Changling, Yongle's own tomb, is the grandest, crowned by the Hall of Eminent Favour, whose roof rests on huge columns each cut from a single nanmu tree trunk. Dingling, the tomb of the Wanli Emperor, is the only one ever excavated: visitors descend into its marble underground palace, whose treasures now fill museum cases, a dig of the 1950s remembered for the loss of the emperor's remains during the Cultural Revolution. The tombs are part of a UNESCO World Heritage site, and more of them are being restored and opened in phases to 2030. They pair naturally with a trip to the Great Wall.

Changling, Ming Tombs Scenic Area, Changping District, Beijing, Beijing, China

Daily, about 8:30-17:30 in peak season and 8:30-16:30 in the off-season (official). No reservation needed.

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