Ming Tombs

Inscribed: 2000, 2003 Criteria: C (i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vi)

The imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties are four groups of tombs in four provinces of eastern China. The Ming Tombs, designed in keeping with the Chinese principles of geomancy (fengshui), provide outstanding evidence of Chinese beliefs and traditional from the 14th century onwards and are significant examples of architecture and applied arts from that period.

—WHC,UNESCO

Located about 50 kilometers northwest of Beijing, the Ming Tombs lie scattered at the southern foot of MT.Tianshoushan in Changping district. The first and the largest one was built during the reign of the third Ming emperor Zhu Di (1403-1424).The other 12 tombs were built successively in a period of more than 200 years.

Ding Ling is one of the 13 Ming Tombs and is the tomb of the 13th Ming Emperor. It is the only one of the Ming Tombs to have been excavated so far. Excavation started in 1956, 2 years later the museum of the Underground Palace was set up. The burial objects cleared out of the underground palace came to more than 3000.

The Underground Palace of Ding Ling consisted of the ante-chamber, the middle-chamber with 2 annexes chambers on each side, and the back-chamber. The Underground Palace was entirely built of stone., with vaulted ceilings and no columns or beams.

There are 3 coffins placed on the stone couch in the back-chamber. In the middle was the coffin of the emperor, flanked by the coffins of the two Empresses.

The burial objects are now placed in the Ding Ling Museum, except some of them are kept in the Palace Museum.

Ming Tombs Private Tour _ Ming Tombs Bus Tour