TheMing tombsare a collection of imperial mausoleums built by the Ming dynasty emperors in the Changping Valley.

In the year 1409 A.D., Emperor Yongle commissioned the construction of two major buildings: the Forbidden City and his own mausoleum. Yongle was the first emperor buried inthe place, however within the span of 230 years, thirteen out of the 16 Ming emperors, 23 empresses, a high-ranking concubine and 12 sacrificed imperial concubines were buried in this peaceful valley. The tombs were carefully chosen according to feng shui (geomancy) principles. The whole process from site selection to building of the tombs as a copy of the imperial palace paid attention to the harmony between the tomb architecture and the surrounding landscape. A large three-arched gateway, the Grand Red Gate and the so-called “Spirit Path” which is a long road bordered by stone animals and guardian officials, lead to different tombs. Though varying in architectural complexity, size and furnishings, the tombs are similar in their basic layout: a stone bridge, front gate, pavilion, a watchtower and the Precious Hall.

At present, three tombs are partly open to the public: the Changling, Emperor Yongle’s tomb which is the largest and best preserved; Dingling, whose underground palace has been fully excavated and the Zhaoling, the resting place of the last Ming emperor. The Ming tombs was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in August 2003 and houses the Ming Tombs Museum that displays a wide collection of biographies of the entombed emperors, burial goods and a wooden reproduction of the Hall of Eminent Favor.

The Ming Tombs Museum registered itself at the Beijing municipal bureau of cultural relics on December 12, 1995. As a second-level museum, it is set up to protect, collect, and research on the relics on the Ming Tombs.

Tel: 86 10 60761124

Mobile: 13501232825

Contact: Wang Ying

Email: 467036368@qq.com

Website: www.mingtombs.com

Location: Dingling Tomb, the Ming Tombs, Changping District, Beijing