Top Attractions in Beijing- The Ming Tombs

The site of the Ming Tombs are just 50 kilometres from central Beijing and easy to reach by tourist or local buses or a combination of train and bus. By far the easiest option is the tourist buses, bus 925 runs every 30 minutes from Deshengmen direct to the site from 7.10 am, the last bus returns to Beijing at 7.10 pm.

Thirteen of the seventeen emperors from the Ming Dynasty are buried in what is known as the 13 tombs. Only two of the tombs excavated are open to the public, Dingling and Changling. Changling was the first of these to be opened to the public in 1958 after a two year period of renovation. Dingling has been more extensively excavated of the two but its access leaves Changling as the better option for many visitors.

For the more able bodied visitor Dingling offers the chance to enter into the burial chamber. However it is an extremely steep climb into and later out of this chamber. Dingling is certainly not a good option for visitors using wheel chairs or those not wishing to enter the subterranean depths.

Changling was the first mausoleum and is the tomb of Emperor Zhu Di and his empresses that were buried with him when he died. It is considered to be the most magnificent of the tombs and the next 12 emperors all had their tombs built around this one. Changling is also the largest of the tombs and its main building covers an area of 1956 square metres.

Within the site of the tomb the Ling’en Palace is also well worth a visit. It is entirely made of wood and no nails or pins were used in its construction. The floor is covered by bricks made of gold.

Where Changling is above ground and quite easily accessible, Dingling is up to 27 metres below the surface. It is occupied by Emperor Zhu Yijun, he was the thirteenth emperor and the longest ruling of that dynasty. He also had his two empresses buried alongside him. The main features of this mausoleum are the Soul Tower, that acts as the entrance way into the Underground Chambers and the Stone Bridge. It is a beautifully constructed palace in yellow glazed tiles, this structure is made entirely from stone.

The Ming Tombs are open all year round from 7.30 am until 5.30 pm. During the winter months however they may close slightly earlier. You should allow 1 or 2 hours to visit each site and the entrance fee is between 30 and 45 RMB for Changling and 40 and 60 RMB for Dingling. This fee is determined by the high and low seasons. High season being April 1st until October 31st.

Many people chose to combine a visit to the Ming Tombs with a visit to the nearby Great Wall.