Sights in Ming Tombs

1. Ming Tombs

   • Ming Tombs, China
   • Sights › Tomb

   The Ming Tombs are the final resting place of 13 of the 16 Ming emperors (the first Ming emperor, Hongwu, is buried in Nánjīng, which means ‘Southern Capital’ and was the first capital of the Ming dynasty). Billed with the Great Wall as Běijīng’s winning double act, the imperial graveyard can be a dormant and lifeless spectacle, unless you pack a penchant for ceremonial tomb architecture or Ming imperial genealogy. The Ming Tombs follow a standard imperial layout. In each tomb the plan consists of a main gate (líng mén), leading to the first of a series of courtyards and the main hall. Beyond this lie gates or archways leading to the Soul Tower (Míng Lóu), behind which…

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2. Dìng Líng

   • Ming Tombs, China
   • Sights › Tomb

   Dìng Líng is the burial place of Emperor Wanli, who died at age 56 in 1620. The tomb contains a series of subterranean interlocking vaults, and the remains of the various gates and halls of the complex. Excavated in the late 1950s, some visitors find this tomb of more interest, as you are allowed to descend into the underground vault. Accessing the vault down the steps, you are confronted by the vast marble self-locking doors that sealed the chamber after it was vacated. Note the depression in the floor where the stone prop clicked into place once the door was finally closed.

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3. Cháng Líng

   • Ming Tombs, China
   • Sights › Tomb

   The most imposing of the Ming Tombs, Cháng Líng is the burial place of Emperor Yongle. Its magnificent halls lie in a series beyond its yellow-tiled gate. Seated upon a three-tiered marble terrace, the standout structure is the Hall of Eminent Favours ( 灵恩殿; Líng’ēn Diàn), containing a recent statue of Yongle and a breathtaking interior with vast nánmù (cedar wood) columns. The pine-covered burial mound at the rear of the complex is yet to be excavated and is not open to the public.

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4. Zhāo Líng

   • Ming Tombs, China
   • Sights › Tomb

   The resting place of the 13th Ming emperor Longqing, Zhāo Líng, follows quite an orthodox layout and is a tranquil alternative if you discover that the other tombs are too busy to enter.

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