The Ming Tombs Beijing – Ticket, Opening Hours, Highlights, and Tips

The Sacred Way, also known as the Spirit Way, serves as the main ceremonial path for all thirteen tombs. It represents the guiding pathway of the Ming Dynasty imperial tombs. The Sacred Way starts from the Stone Archway in the south and extends north to the Changling Tomb, spanning a total length of 7,000 meters. Along the path, 24 stone animals and 12 stone human figures are neatly arranged on both sides. The animals include six different types, with four statues of each, depicted in both standing and kneeling positions, each arrangement carrying symbolic meanings.

The human statues consist of meritorious officials, civil officials, and military officials, with four figures for each category. These figures represent the emperor’s close attendants during his lifetime, depicted with hands clasped and holding ceremonial tablets, embodying a sense of majesty and reverence. The tradition of placing such stone statues in imperial tombs dates back over two thousand years to the Qin and Han dynasties. These statues primarily serve a decorative purpose, symbolizing the emperor’s authority and presence even in the afterlife, with the ability to command both civil and military officials, as well as various livestock.

The Great Red Gate, also known as the Great Palace Gate, is the main entrance to the tomb complex. This gate features a three-arched entrance and a hipped roof covered with yellow glazed tiles. The walls are constructed from bricks and stones, painted entirely in red. The gate connects to the tomb complex’s perimeter walls on both sides. In front of the Great Red Gate, on the east and west sides, stand two stone tablets, each inscribed with the words “All officials must dismount here,” carved in Han white jade. Everyone coming to pay respects to the tombs must dismount and proceed on foot from this point onward, signifying the reverence and solemnity of the imperial tombs. Inside the gate, on the eastern side, there used to be a Dusting Hall, also known as the Shizhi Hall, specifically built as a changing room for the emperor and empress. However, this hall no longer exists.

The Stele Pavilion, located at the front section of the Sacred Way, is specifically known as the “神功圣德碑亭 Shengong Shengde Stele Pavilion” of the Changling Tomb. Built in the first year of the Zhengtong era (1436), the pavilion is square in plan and stands 25.14 meters tall. It features a double-eaved hip roof covered with yellow glazed tiles. The walls are constructed of brick and stone, painted entirely in red, and it has doors on all four sides. Inside the pavilion, there is a dragon-headed tortoise-borne stele, over 7 meters tall, carved from white marble. The stele bears inscriptions on all four sides, with the top inscribed in seal script with “Shengong Shengde Stele of the Changling Tomb of the Great Ming.” The stele text, authored by Emperor Hongxi (Zhu Gaochi) and calligraphed by the renowned early Ming calligrapher Cheng Nanyun, spans over 3,000 characters. At each corner of the pavilion stands a decorative column (huabiao), 10.8 meters high, carved with cloud and dragon patterns, topped with a round plate bearing a mythical creature known as a “sky-gazing hound.” These columns, carved from white marble, enhance the pavilion’s solemn and dignified ambiance.

The Changling Tomb is the joint burial site of the third Ming Emperor, Yongle (Zhu Di), and his Empress Xu. It is the largest and most magnificent complex among the Ming Tombs. The layout is rectangular with a round rear section, comprising three courtyards and surrounded by tall red perimeter walls. The main structures are aligned along a central north-south axis, beginning with an entrance marked by an uninscribed stele, connected by a stone bridge to the Sacred Way. The first courtyard features the Ling’en Gate as its principal building, flanked by auxiliary structures such as the Sacred Kitchen, Sacred Storehouse, and Sacrificial Pavilion. The second courtyard, the main area for rituals, has the most significant and grandest buildings.

The central hall, Ling’en Hall, was completed in the 14th year of the Yongle era (1416). This hall, used for housing the spirit tablets of the emperor and empress and for conducting sacrificial ceremonies, has a nine-bay facade, double-eaved hip roof, and yellow glazed tiles, exuding a majestic golden brilliance. It rests on a tiered base of white marble balustrades and steps, with a central stone pathway intricately carved with sea and dragon motifs.

The hall’s interior features a floor paved with “golden bricks,” and its beams, columns, and brackets are made from nanmu (Phoebe zhennan) wood, prized for its fine grain, natural fragrance, and resistance to decay. The structure is supported by 60 massive nanmu columns, including 32 inner columns, each over 12.58 meters high and more than a meter in diameter, which are exceptional and rare examples of timber architecture.

Xianling Tomb is the joint burial site of the fourth Ming Emperor, Zhu Gaochi, and his Empress Zhang. Zhu Gaochi (1378-1425), known by his era name Hongxi, reigned for only ten months at the age of 47 and died at 48. The construction of Xianling began in July of the first year of the Hongxi era (1425) and the surface structures were completed in the eighth year of the Zhengtong era (1443), taking a total of 18 years. The tomb covers an area of approximately 42,000 square meters.

The Sacred Way of Xianling branches off from the Sacred Way of Changling at the North Five-arch Bridge and extends about 1 kilometer. Along the way, there is a single-arch stone bridge. The road surface is paved with city bricks in the center and flanked by rubble stone drains, reflecting a simple and austere style. The tomb’s halls, side halls, and the Sacred Kitchen each have five rooms and single-eaved roofs. The gate tower (Ling’en Gate) has only three rooms. The underpass of the city wall is simplified to a direct passage from front to back, and the spirit screen is placed behind the square city and in front of the burial mound, rather than within the underpass. Xianling’s design avoids excessive opulence, setting a precedent for later Ming tombs.

The Zhaoling Tomb complex spans an area of 35,000 square meters and includes well-preserved structures such as the Ling’en Gate, Ling’en Hall, its east and west side halls, the square city, the Ming Tower, and the burial mound. This tomb is the resting place of the twelfth Ming Emperor, Muzong (Zhu Zaihou), and his three empresses. The original Ling’en Hall had a five-room frontage (30.38 meters) and a four-room depth (16.77 meters). After reconstruction during the Qing dynasty, the frontage was reduced to 23.3 meters and the depth to three rooms (11.92 meters). Similarly, the Ling’en Gate was originally three rooms wide (18.44 meters) and two rooms deep (8.04 meters), but was later reduced to 12.52 meters wide and 6.77 meters deep.

The two side halls and the Shengong Shengde Stele Pavilion in front of the tomb were not rebuilt, and their remaining walls were dismantled. Only a perimeter wall was constructed around the original pavilion base to protect the stele. For nearly 200 years afterward, the tomb received no further repairs. Once a magnificent tomb complex, Zhaoling now stands in a state of desolation, with only the dilapidated Ming Tower and tomb walls remaining as silent witnesses to its past grandeur.

Jingling Tomb, situated beneath the eastern peak of Tianshou Mountain (also known as Heishan), is the burial site of the fifth Ming Emperor Xuanzong, Zhu Zhanji (reign title Xuande), and his Empress Sun. The tomb faces slightly westward by 550 meters and covers approximately 25,000 square meters. The burial mound is shaped longitudinally, with a round rear and a square front, seamlessly integrating the two front courtyards with the rear tomb city. Along the central axis, the structures include Ling’en Gate, Ling’en Hall, the Three-Arch Gate, Lingxing Gate, a stone offering table, the square city, and the Ming Tower.

The Ling’en Hall in Jingling Tomb retains the foundation platform from the Jiajing era reconstruction. From the remaining Ming dynasty column bases, it is evident that the original hall had a frontage of five rooms (31.34 meters) and a depth of three rooms (16.9 meters), with an additional rear annex (8.1 meters wide and 4.03 meters deep). The front stone relief depicting two dragons playing with a pearl, more elaborate and grand than the cloud patterns of Xianling, underscores the intricate craftsmanship.

Dingling Tomb is the burial site of the thirteenth Ming Emperor Shenzong, Zhu Yijun (reign title Wanli), and his two empresses. Located at the foot of Dayu Mountain, southwest of Changling, it was constructed between the twelfth and eighteenth years of the Wanli era (1584-1590). The tomb spans an area of 182,000 square meters and features major structures such as Ling’en Gate, Ling’en Hall, the treasure city, the Ming Tower, and the underground palace.

Dingling is the only tomb among the Ming Tombs that has been excavated. Its underground palace is open to visitors. The excavation revealed the grand scale and elaborate construction of the tomb, reflecting the opulence of the Wanli Emperor’s reign. The underground palace, with its stone thrones, intricately carved coffins, and a wealth of burial artifacts, provides a fascinating glimpse into Ming dynasty burial customs and imperial grandeur.

Yongling Tomb is situated on the southern slope of Yangcui Ridge and is the burial site of the eleventh Ming Emperor Shizong, Zhu Houcong (reign title Jiajing), and his three empresses: Chen, Fang, and Du. The tomb complex is expansive, featuring Ling’en Hall with seven double-eaved bays and two nine-bay side halls, second only to Changling in scale, and surpassing the tombs of Xian, Jing, Yu, Mao, Tai, and Kang. The Ling’en Gate of Yongling, with its five bays, matches that of Changling and is only equaled by Dingling among the other tombs.

Yongling also includes an external enclosure, which was not present in the first seven tombs. Within this outer enclosure are the five-bay God’s Kitchen on the left and the five-bay God’s Warehouse on the right. The design mimics the deep palace alleys, with long east and west streets. This outer enclosure was intended to bury imperial concubines, positioning them outside the treasure city and before the Ming Tower, in a symmetrical layout along the palace walls.

Maoling Tomb (茂陵): Located at the foot of Jubaoshan Mountain, to the right of Yuling, it is the burial site of the eighth Ming Emperor Xianzong, Zhu Jianshen (reign title Chenghua), and his three empresses: Wang, Ji, and Shao.

Kangling Tomb (康陵): Situated on the eastern slope of Jinling (also known as Lotus Mountain or Babao Lotus Mountain), it is the burial site of the tenth Ming Emperor Wuzong, Zhu Houzhao (reign title Zhengde), and his Empress Xia.

Tailing Tomb (泰陵): Located on the southeast slope of Bijia Mountain, also known as “Shijiatian” or “Shijiamountain,” it is the burial site of the ninth Ming Emperor Xiaozong, Zhu Youcheng (reign title Hongzhi), and his Empress Zhang.

Deling Tomb (德陵): Located on the western slope of Tanyuling, it is the burial site of the fifteenth Ming Emperor Xizong, Zhu Youjiao (reign title Tianqi), and his Empress Zhang.

Yuling Tomb (裕陵): Situated on the southern slope of Shimenshan Mountain, to the west of Tianshou Mountain, it is the burial site of the sixth Ming Emperor Yingzong, Zhu Qizhen, and his two Empresses Qian and Zhou.

Siling Tomb (思陵): Built around the fifteenth year of the Chongzhen era (1642), it was originally the burial site of the favorite concubine Tian of the Chongzhen Emperor. After the fall of the Ming dynasty, the Chongzhen Emperor and Empress Zhou were interred here by order of Li Zicheng, who renamed it Siling. Siling is unique as it is the only tomb where an emperor, empress, and concubine are buried together and is relatively smaller in scale. Nearby, there is also the tomb of Wang Chengen, the personal eunuch of Chongzhen, who was honored with a stele by the Qing emperors Shunzhi and Kangxi for his loyalty.

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