Ming Tombs
十三陵
Changping Station
Location: Changping district, Beijing
The Ming Tombs refers to a group of mausoleums belonging to 13 emperors from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and their consorts. The tombs lie at the foot of Tianshou Mountain in Changping district, about 50 kilometers from the urban area of Beijing. Magnificent cemetery buildings with red walls, yellow tiles and upturned eaves stand on the eastern, western and northern slopes. In particular, the mausoleum of the Emperor Yongle lies at the center of the northern slope, flanked by the other twelve. The general layout conveys a solemn, harmonious order of importance, which is accentuated by the mountains and rivers.
Representative of ancient Chinese imperial mausoleums, they reflect the richness of traditional Chinese culture, and thus hold a very high historic and cultural value. Entirely out of bounds in the past, they are now open as a tourist attraction famous both at home and abroad. Currently, four spots are officially opened to the public: the Ding Mausoleum, the Chang Mausoleum, the Zhao Mausoleum and the passages to the tombs.