Ming Tombs

We drove there that day. We followed the navigation to the ticket office of the Shenlu of the Ming Tombs at around 2 pm. On the way, we were always wondering why there were so few cars on the road as a national 5A-level scenic spot. Was the navigation wrong? When we got off the car, a middle-aged man who looked like a local came up to us and told us that the Ming Tombs were not here. We were surprised and said, "Huh?" Then he told us that the Ming Tombs are divided into three parts: Shenlu, Dingling and Changling. Dingling is mainly an underground palace, Changling is mainly an above-ground palace, and this is the Shenlu of the Ming Tombs, which is actually its gate. I thought it looked like this. He then told us that there was actually nothing to see on the Shenlu, except that the gate was empty, and the tourists all went to Changling and Dingling. How about this, I will take your car, tell you how to drive there, and charge you three 20 yuan each. My friends didn't seem to react, and they were thinking with their heads down. I asked the man, "How far are Dingling and Changling from here? How long does it take to drive?" He told us that it was only five kilometers. I said thank you and motioned my friends to leave. After we came out, we looked at the navigation and decided to drive there by ourselves. We went to Dingling first. After buying tickets and entering, we found that there were not many people. There were only about three small tour groups. We walked around and looked at the surrounding environment. It was indeed very large, like a large garden. Next, we went to Exhibition Hall No. 1. There were not many exhibits in it. It was estimated that there were only about 30 or 40 pieces. They were mainly burial objects and shrouds of the emperor and his wives and concubines. What surprised us was that their shrouds were well made and still looked very gorgeous. After that, we came out and found that Exhibition Hall No. 2 was closed. We continued to the basement. At first glance, it was gloomy and the lights were dim. However, the basement was not very big. It took three flights of stairs to reach the real inner room. There were several stone sofa chairs, and in front of them was a table with two wrist-sized candles on it and some small sundries on it. We continued walking forward and came to another inner room, which was also decorated in a similar way. These two inner rooms belonged to the emperor and the empress respectively, and there was really nothing to see. After seeing these, we went out and drove to the next stop, Changling. We went to buy tickets first. After entering the gate, it basically looked like a big palace. Then we walked in and found that the palace was filled with various exhibits. It is said that there were also various funerary objects. Since it was almost closing time, we just took a look and left.

I went there on December 31st in winter. The scenery was not good. The combined ticket (Changling, Dingling, and Shinto) was 80 yuan for adults and 40 yuan for seniors. There were no places to eat around, only farmhouses. There were small stalls at the door selling snacks. It was best to bring some hot food such as self-heating rice, which tasted very comfortable. Among the Ming Tombs, only Changling, Dingling, Shinto and Zhaoling were open. Other tombs were said to be closed. However, they were all similar, so it was enough to visit these two tombs. The distance between different tombs is quite far, so it is recommended to drive by yourself.

Ming Tombs, a world cultural heritage, a national key cultural relic protection unit, a national key scenic spot, and a national AAAAA-level tourist attraction. Ming Tombs are located at the foot of Tianshou Mountain in Changping District, Beijing. Opening hours: Peak season (April 1st - October 31st): Dingling 8:00-17:30, Changling 8:00-17:00.
Off-season (November 1st - March 31st of the following year): Dingling 8:30-17:00, Changling 8:30-16:30
Ticket prices: Peak season (April 1st - October 31st): Dingling 65 yuan, Changling 50 yuan; off-season (November 1st - March 31st of the following year)

Dingling Tomb: 60 yuan
Play time 2-3 hours
Dingling is the only mausoleum among the Thirteen Tombs with an open underground palace, but the Hall of Enlightenment was destroyed in Li Zicheng's fire.
Zhu Di's Changling Mausoleum has a Zun'en Hall made of golden nanmu wood, but the underground palace has not been excavated. The ticket price is 40 yuan.
The other eleven tombs were not open and were still sleeping quietly accompanied by weeds.

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As a Beijinger, I have been to the Forbidden City, Beihai and the Summer Palace countless times, but this is the first time I have been to the Ming Tombs in all these years. I feel ashamed. It also shows that the ancient tomb series is indeed unpopular.
The Ming Tombs can be said to be the model room of the Eastern Qing Tombs. The biggest shock to me was that the underground palace of Dingling is really huge.

There are certain deviations in the discounts mentioned online. I hope this helps everyone.

The Ming Tombs are a world cultural heritage, a national key cultural relic protection unit, a national key scenic spot, and a national AAAAA-level tourist attraction.

In Changping District, north of Beijing, there are the famous "Thirteen Tombs", where thirteen of the sixteen emperors of the Ming Dynasty are buried.

The Ming Tombs are the collective name for the tombs of 13 emperors of the Ming Dynasty. Located in the northwest suburbs of Beijing, it is one of the largest existing imperial mausoleum complexes in China with the most emperors and empresses. The mausoleum area is surrounded by mountains, and there is a winding river in front of the mausoleum. The scenery is beautiful and the mountains and rivers are unique. You can visit the buildings and scenery here, and you can also learn about the funeral specifications of ancient emperors.

Dingling is part of the World Heritage - the royal tombs of Ming and Qing dynasties, and is the only underground palace open to the public.

I only went to Dingling, which is very small and can be walked around in a short time. There is nothing inside, just banknotes thrown by others. I don't think it's worth 40 yuan. Many things are not open to the public. It's so small that I don't feel anything. There are only these few things, and the coffins are all new.

I went to the Ming Tombs Reservoir once. The scenic spot colluded with black taxis to pull people over and force them to consume. Be careful.

As a Ming Dynasty history enthusiast, this is a highly recommended attraction. Currently only Changling, Dingling, Shendao, and Zhaoling are open to the public and are currently under repair. The others are not open.

I only went to Dingling, the only mausoleum with an open underground palace, and the remains of Emperor Wanli were nowhere to be found.

If you go to Dingling for the underground palace, then Changling must be for the Zun'en Hall. All the wood pieces in the Zun'en Hall are made of golden nanmu. When you walk into the hall, you can see sixty golden nanmu pillars with a diameter of more than one meter and a height of more than ten meters supporting the 2,300-square-meter double-eaved hip roof. The store has exhibitions of calligraphy and painting, clothing and other items related to the Ming Dynasty.

If you are a foreign tourist traveling independently, please try not to sign up for a one-day tour program that solicits customers on the street. There are many news reports about this kind of deception. You can search on Baidu for details. If you choose the Ming Tombs as a backpacker, you must spend at least half a day there unless you want to take a quick look. Because it is the Ming Tombs, there are currently three main attractions: Shenlu, Dingling and Changling (Zhaoling is under renovation and temporarily closed). Although Shenlu is similar to that in Nanjing, it is recommended to visit all three places. The reason is that Shenlu in Beijing costs money, 30 yuan in the peak season and 20 yuan in the off-season. It is free in Nanjing, but Beijing has a pass like the Nanjing Zhongshan Scenic Area. It is 120 yuan in Beijing, including (Shenlu, Changling and Dingling), but you can get a 10 yuan discount by scanning the QR code on WeChat Lvmama at the entrance

You need a guide to explain. It's not interesting to see it by yourself...

Mainly the Changling Mausoleum of Emperor Chengzu Zhu Di of the Ming Dynasty. I remember taking many photos, but how come there is only one left? The funniest thing is people throwing money under the statue of Chengzu. He is the emperor, he doesn't need your few cents, haha

I didn't take many photos in the Ming Tombs, after all, it is a mausoleum area. Dingling is an underground mausoleum with gusts of cold wind. Listening to the explanation along the way, I also felt that the ancient Feng Shui theory was very mysterious but also very clever. The emperor chose a place where the wind could not reach the tomb, surrounded by mountains and forests, and no water flowed. In ancient times, people believed that the soul still exists after death, so they wanted to find a place where the spirit could gather to bury the coffin, but there should be many trees to symbolize vitality. I have to admire the wisdom of the ancients.

The local specialties such as spring rolls at the Ming Tombs are all in the village. It is more suitable to drive there. Public transportation is not recommended when there are few people. I recommend the "Sai Tour Guide" app, which is very easy to use and automatically locates and explains.

It is said that Dingling is the only mausoleum that has been developed, so I came here! There are many replicas under the mausoleum, and there are no rotten bones, so don't be afraid. The underground palace of the ancients was so well built, deep and large, and it will not collapse. I have to admire the wisdom and ability of the ancients! Prince Gong's Mansion (Beihai North Station) This is the largest palace. It is where Heshen once lived. It is worth a visit. There is a historical evolution exhibition inside. Be patient and read it quickly, and you will learn about the history of Prince Gong's Mansion.

It's really nice. It's very close. It's a good place for cycling. Haha.

Only three scenic spots of the Ming Tombs are open. The Zhaoling Mausoleum is maintained. Adult tickets are 110 yuan and student tickets are 55 yuan. The park opens immediately. There are few tourists and the environment is good.

In Beijing, if you have enough time, you can consider the Ming Tombs, which are less visited by tourists. Zhu Di's tomb is here.

Today is one of the highlights of this trip. The destination is the Ming Tombs at the foot of Tianshou Mountain in Changping District, Beijing. Starting from the Changling of Emperor Chengzu Zhu Di to the Siling of Emperor Sizong Zhu Youjian, thirteen emperor tombs, seven concubines tombs, and one eunuch tomb were built here. A total of thirteen emperors, twenty-three queens, two princes, more than thirty concubines, and one eunuch were buried here. It is the largest existing imperial mausoleum complex in China and even in the world with the most emperors and empresses. The open attractions include Changling, Dingling, Zhaoling, and Shenlu. I bought a pass on Ctrip the night before (90 yuan/person), which is slightly cheaper than buying it at the scenic spot.

You can buy a combined ticket for the Ming Tombs, which includes Changling, Dingling, and the Shendao. Zhaoling and the reservoir are free, so you can go and see them if you have the time and energy. There is no shuttle bus between the tombs, so you have to take the bus or taxi. It is recommended to charter a car as it is more convenient.
Xiangshan Mountain is right next to it. If you come here in autumn, I suggest you go to Xiangshan Mountain to see the red maples...Try to avoid Beijing's rush hour on your return trip.

The historical stage play "Wanli Selects Concubines" at Dingling Mausoleum of the Ming Tombs is a song, dance, magic and acrobatics performance that restores the absurd historical story of Emperor Wanli selecting nine concubines in one day more than 400 years ago.

The Ming Tombs are open to the public in the following scenic areas: Shendao, Changling, Dingling, and Zhaoling (currently under construction and not open to the public). Adult tickets are 110 yuan, and seniors over 60 years old are half price. There is still some distance between the mausoleums, but there are several buses such as No. 314 to reach them, which is quite convenient.
The cemetery structure of the Ming Tombs and the various unearthed funerary artifacts in the museum can help us understand the history and culture of the time. Moreover, as an imperial tomb, it is a place of great feng shui.

I just explored the tombs of thirteen emperors. Compared with the others that cost money to visit, they satisfy my curiosity better.

There were all black cars after getting off the subway at Ming Tombs. I got ripped off. The black car took me to visit Zhaoling, Dingling, Changling, and the reservoir. I only visited Dingling. The black car cost 100 yuan, which is still cheap. In the end, it dropped me off at the subway station. 🚉

The Ming Tombs are a place of great feng shui, otherwise there wouldn’t be so many tombs here.

I drove there on April 15, 2018. Let me talk about the tickets first. The peak season combined ticket is 110, including Shenlu, Changling, and Dingling. Zhaoling is under construction and is temporarily closed. Attention! The individual ticket window only accepts cash. The online ticket combined ticket is 105, but it needs to be purchased one hour in advance. The on-site scanning code (WeChat/Alipay) can only buy tickets for each attraction separately, Shenlu 30, Dingling 60, Changling 45. In short, it will be more convenient to bring more cash.
Yes, the Ming Tombs are not interesting as everyone says. There is not much text on the introduction board in the park. If you don't join a tour group and don't have relevant knowledge, this place can only be regarded as a park. But as a Ming history enthusiast, I saw some things that I could only imagine in my mind before, and it was still interesting to explain the history to my friends.
More importantly, the weather was very good that day, the sky was very blue, the crabapple trees in Changling were in bloom, and the mountains in the distance were lush and green, which was really beautiful. It was perfect as a spring outing activity. There were not many people, mainly tour groups.
In the afternoon, we went to one of the restaurants in the Zhengde Spring Pancake Banquet in Kangling. The dishes were a little salty, but overall they were good. We also peeked through the crack of the Kangling gate to see what was inside. The En Hall has disappeared, leaving only a foundation. Among the Ming Tombs, only the En Hall in Changling is still there. It is supported by more than a dozen thick and tall golden nanmu trees, and it is also very impressive. There are many exhibits of items excavated from the Wanli Tomb.
In short, if you are interested in Ming history, it is a good idea to come here when the weather is fine.

There weren't many people when I went there, and I felt there wasn't much to see...

Individual traveler's guide!! Individual traveler's guide!! Individual traveler's guide!!
Recommended route: Shinto - Dingling - Changling (due to time constraints, I didn't go to Zhaoling, but it's not necessary to go to Zhaoling)
The Ming Tombs are not a tourist attraction, but a scenic spot.
Bus: Take bus No. 314 or No. 872 to Dagongmen bus stop. When you get off, you can see the three-arched big red gate and the stone tablet in front of the gate: Ming Tombs. The tour starts here. Enter the sacred road from the south gate and exit from the north gate. Then find Changping Huzhuang bus stop and take bus No. 314 or No. 872 to Dingling bus stop. Get off here for Dingling. The next stop is Changling bus stop, where you can get off for Changling.
There is only one boarding point at Dingling Bus Station, and you get on the bus at the same place for both the round trip and the return trip. When the bus comes, ask the driver clearly whether you are going to Changling or the city, and don't get on the wrong bus.
Changling Bus Station is the terminus for routes 314 and 872, so you can queue up and wait for a seat. There may not be a seat available when you get on the bus from Dingling back to the city.
Travel experience:
From the city, I went to Deshengmen to take the bus, the starting point of bus 872, and many suburban buses such as Badaling start from here. It was already past 12 noon when I got on the bus. There were not many people and there were still seats. The bus ticket was 9 yuan. If you bought the ticket in cash, the conductor would give you change. Because I was not familiar with the route and was afraid that I would not have enough time, I took the bus directly to Dingling. It was around 1:30 pm at this time. I visited Dingling for more than an hour, then went to the sacred road, and then went back to Changling to take the bus.
1. The off-season ticket for Shinto is 20 yuan, which can be paid by WeChat (there are no paper tickets). According to the staff at the gate, Shinto is for strolling, or you can take a tour bus, but it is not very meaningful to travel by tour bus. You can listen to the explanation on WeChat while strolling. The stone statues on both sides seem to tell us to take death lightly and cherish life.
2. Dingling is a mausoleum with an open underground palace. Many people come here for this purpose. The ticket price in the off-season is 40 yuan. Paper tickets are not available for WeChat payment. There are many tour groups. You can take advantage of the tour guide. The historical sites are worth visiting only when you listen to the tour guide. The cypress stone tablets and the swaying shadows of the trees are my general impression of Dingling. I followed the tour guide in and out of the underground palace and forgot to visit the exhibition hall next to the underground palace. I didn't regret it because I had been to the National Museum. There is a visitor center at the exit of Dingling, and there is a TV playing a documentary about the excavation of Dingling. I think it is very meaningful!
3. Changling and Zhaoling. The tour guide who was explaining Dingling said at the exit of Dingling: "You came in from the gate of Dingling today, saw the earthen mound, entered the underground palace, and saw the Dingling stele, which means you visited Dingling. If you change Ding in Dingling to Changling, you will have visited Changling. If you change Ding in Dingling to Zhaoling, you will have visited Zhaoling. The difference is that the underground palaces of Changling and Zhaoling are not open to the public." I agreed with him. I was afraid that I would not have enough time, so I did not visit Changling. I only knew that the ticket price for Changling in the off-season was 30.
According to the guide, the feng shui of the Ming Tombs is quite good, with mountains and water, a green dragon on the left and a white tiger on the right. The mystery of why the emperors of the Ming Dynasty buried their tombs so far away was also solved. In addition, the sky in the suburbs is very blue.
Travel time: 2018.3.24 afternoon
Review time: 2018.3.25 afternoon

Well-preserved royal tombs, in addition to Wanli, there are still 12 emperors buried here. So I went here on purpose for a hike. The whole journey is about 20 kilometers. Get off at Tailing by car, and you can feel the solemnity of the royal mausoleums, the heaviness and sadness of the prosperous dynasties that have passed away. Each of them has its own characteristics. Changling is the largest and most gorgeous, Dingling is the simplest, but the underground palace is open, and Zhaoling is the most complete restoration of the tomb ceremony.

The 15th stop of the 2017 Spring Festival Beijing Free Tour, February 2 (the sixth day of the first lunar month). It is best to drive to this attraction. If you don't have one, it is best to rent one. It is also very convenient to rent a car online now. I read the guide written by Qiongyoushusheng and took the bus here. I regretted it four times. It took at least 5 hours to take the bus. Living in downtown Beijing, taking a bus and transferring buses, the transfer bus is very difficult to wait, at least half an hour, and nearly 2 hours to the entrance of the Ming Tombs. Zhaoling is very close to the sacred road, just walk there. Dingling is a 20-minute walk from Zhaoling. Going to Changling is more painful, and it is very difficult to wait for the bus. There are many illegal taxis but I dare not take them. In the end, I took a local farmer's van to go there. Thinking about it, I was scared. It is easy for thieves to get on the van but difficult to get off. The van is on a country road, and there is no ghost. What if there is a conspiracy... You can scan the QR code at the ticket office to get an electronic tour guide.
Comments: The biggest attraction of the Shinto is the stone statues, which are really lifelike; Zhaoling is the smallest of the three mausoleums, and has relatively the least attractions. Many travelers with tight schedules skip it directly. Dingling is the mausoleum of Emperor Wanli. The biggest attraction is the only underground palace that has been excavated and opened to the public so far. Walking down the stairs step by step, I felt a chill on my back. Fortunately, I met a large group walking down at the entrance. I followed the crowd to visit. Everyone's steps were a little hurried, and soon I left the underground palace. I wanted to take a closer look, but I didn't have the courage to look back. The unearthed cultural relics in Dingling are very exquisite. I can't believe that they are handmade works from 400 years ago. Some of them are exhibited in Changling; Changling is the mausoleum of Zhu Di. The biggest attraction is the golden nanmu pillars in the Ling'en Hall.

The place is huge and worth a visit. However, don't take a tour bus that is not from China Travel to see the Great Wall and Ming Tombs. Although it doesn't cost extra, it takes you to at least four shopping malls that sell things. It's too fake and wastes time. If you want to join a group, you must go to a regular travel agency or China Travel.

We took a black taxi to get there. I wonder if there are still black taxis now. The driver told us stories and taboos about going to the Ming Tombs. We were so scared that we didn't even look around or take pictures in the Ming Tombs. It was embarrassing. We were young at that time and were easy to be deceived. However, it was still quite cold in the tombs. Although it was summer, the staff inside were still wearing big cotton coats.

Actually, it's really average. I went to Dingling and Changling, and there's nothing to see. To be honest, the ticket price is the same as that of the Forbidden City.

I went in to take a look and walked around. To understand the history is to gain something.

We took bus 872 from Deshengmen, but were a little disappointed. There weren't many people, and the trees were shady around. We didn't dare go there at night. We only went to Dingling, because only Dingling had an underground palace. We were excited when we heard about the underground palace, but it was not what we imagined. I think it might be because I read too much Grave Robbers' Chronicles, haha

There are two lines. The inner one is Ming Shisan and the outer one is the Great Wall. Pay special attention! Don't worry about where it says on it!

The wax figures are very lifelike, all in 1:1 ratio. It is quite special to tell the history of Ming Dynasty in this way.

When traveling to Beijing, one of the routes is the Ming Tombs. The place is far away and you need to drive to get there.

My friend has always wanted to see it, so I accompanied him. We went there by ourselves, taking the bus or subway. The journey is far from downtown Beijing in Changping District. If you take the subway, take the Changping Line to the Ming Tombs Scenic Area, and then walk 2,000 meters to reach the Shenlu (about 20 minutes) or take the bus for one stop or a black car (ps The black car quoted a very black price of 10 yuan per person at the beginning. If you ignore it and walk for a while, the driver will quote 5 yuan per person...) We chose to walk to the Shenlu first, and walked straight to the end of the Shenlu. We did not go back and went out from the back door, and took bus No. 314 directly to Changling (swipe card 1 yuan), and then took the bus to Dingling (swipe card 1 yuan), and then took a bus directly from Dingling back to the hotel. The whole tour time is about 3 hours. There are various animal stone sculptures on both sides of the Shenlu, which are very delicate and well preserved. The Ming Changling is the largest of the Ming Thirteen Tombs. At present, only the ground part can be seen. The Lingen Hall is used as an exhibition hall to display amazing costumes, jade and other cultural relics. Ming Dingling is the only place where you can see the underground palace. It is really deep. There are about 5 or 6 floors of stairs going down. But there is nothing to see inside. The red lacquer coffin should be fake. The real one has been destroyed. There are also piles of money thrown by people... There are also cultural relics exhibitions on both sides after leaving the underground palace. The houses are not very eye-catching and I almost missed them. When you go out and cross the door, you have to say "I'm back", which means you have returned from the underworld to the world of the living. My favorite part of the whole process is the illustrations introducing the emperor and empress's costumes, haha, they are very cute~

There are buses from the Great Wall that go directly to the gate of Dingling. You can imagine what Dingling is like in winter... 100 words omitted here!

To be honest, you should go sightseeing with awe. I have seen too many people who just take pictures (selfies) and then change places without even taking time to look at them properly. There is really no meaning in traveling like this. I would like to remind you that when you go to underground mausoleums, don't take pictures and be in awe. Really.

The Ming Tombs are a world cultural heritage, a national key cultural relic protection unit, a national key scenic spot, and a national AAAAA-level tourist attraction. Over the past 230 years, 13 emperor tombs, seven concubine tombs, and one eunuch tomb have been built. A total of 13 emperors, 23 empresses, two princes, more than 30 concubines, and two eunuchs are buried here. As of 2011, the open attractions include Changling, Dingling, Zhaoling, and Shenlu.

Although there are thirteen tombs, due to natural destruction, historical reasons, man-made damage, size and other reasons, tickets are sold for Ming Dingling, Ming Changling, Ming Zhaoling, and the Shendao, which are all far apart. It is recommended to take a taxi if possible. The most famous ones are Changling and Dingling.
Attention! The Ming Tombs scenic area is not managed in a standardized manner, be careful not to be deceived!

There are many precious treasures in the Dingling Mausoleum of Emperor Shenzong of the Ming Dynasty.
Zhu Di's Changling Mausoleum is buried underground.

The Ming Tombs are located in Changping District, Beijing. It is more than 40 kilometers away from Beijing. In this basin of more than 40 square kilometers, there are 13 tombs of Ming Dynasty emperors, including Changling, Xianling, Jingling, Yuling, Maoling, Tailing, Kangling, Yongling, Zhaoling, Dingling, Qingling, Deling, and Siling, collectively known as the Ming Tombs. Only Dingling was opened in the 1950s, and a large number of precious cultural relics were excavated. Thus, the mystery of the underground palace was revealed. Now Changling, Dingling and Zhaoling are open to tourists.

The Ming Tombs are a cemetery after all, so it's best to go there when the sun is shining. I don't know if it's a psychological effect, but I feel it's gloomy in the afternoon, especially the underground palace of Dingling. The transportation is not very convenient. Although there are four bus lines at the exit, it takes a long time to get to the Changping subway station, and you have to sit from the beginning to the end.

I went there once many years ago and didn’t like it very much at the time, but now that I’m away from home, I feel that everything in Beijing is beautiful.

After a quick lunch, we headed to the Ming Tombs. It turned out to be too far. We left the first ring road in the morning and took the subway for two hours to get to Changping District. It was almost three o'clock when we arrived. After getting off the subway, we had no idea how to get there. A private car next to us said that it would take us 20 yuan for four people to the Ming Tombs. We later took a Didi and it only cost 10 yuan. We didn't make a strategy, so we suffered again. We didn't know that the tombs of the Ming Tombs were very far apart, and we didn't know which tomb to go to. Later, we decided to go to Dingling to see the underground palace. I remembered the drama I watched when I was a child. We walked to the side of the road to wait for the bus, but found that there were only four of us on the bus halfway. When we arrived, it was really getting dark, and it was still in the suburbs, and still in the Ming Tombs. After going to the underground palace, I found that it was very deep underground, at least 4.5 floors below the ground. It was actually not big, mainly an emperor and two queens. But after leaving the underground palace, there are several small exhibition rooms, which introduce several important tombs. So going to Dingling is basically seeing the introduction of three tombs. After the visit, it was dark when we left the Ming Tombs, and it was Christmas Eve🎅🙈🙈🙈, so we took the bus first, then took a Didi to the subway station, and then took the subway back to the city.

The Ming Tombs are located at the southern foot of Tianshou Mountain in Changping District, Beijing, about 50 kilometers away from the capital, with a total area of ​​more than 120 square kilometers. From the construction of Changling in May of the seventh year of Yongle (1409 AD) to the burial of the last emperor Chongzhen of the Ming Dynasty in Siling, during the more than 230 years, 13 magnificent imperial tombs, 7 concubines' tombs, and 1 eunuch's tomb were built here. A total of 13 emperors, 23 empresses, 2 princes, more than 30 concubines, and 1 eunuch were buried here. It is the most well-preserved tomb complex with the most buried emperors in the world today. The Ming Tombs were listed in the World Heritage List on July 3, 2003. The order of construction of the 13 tombs is Changling, Xianling, Jingling, Yuling, Maoling, Tailing, Kangling, Yongling, Zhaoling, Dingling, Qingling, Deling, and Siling. The most famous of them are Changling and Dingling. Changling was built in the 11th year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty (1413). It is the mausoleum of Zhu Di, the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty. It is also the earliest and largest of the Ming Tombs. The towering Ming Tower is the symbol of Changling. Starting from July 1, 2015, the discount coupons for the Ming Tombs scenic area were completely cancelled. In October 2015, the Ming Tombs received a serious warning from the National Tourism Administration due to irregularities. On November 10, 2015, the new warehouse for old cultural relics of the Ming Tombs was completed, and all 3,000 cultural relics of the Ming Tombs were moved into their "new home".

People say that taking photos in the Ming Tombs is unlucky, so I didn’t take any photos, not even the performances on site. I only took photos of the performances in the theater outside the mausoleum. There are orchards outside the Ming Tombs, and apple orchards are everywhere. The fruits look good, so we bought some to eat. They are crunchy. The trees in the Ming Tombs are lush and green, but they also look desolate. Walking in the Ming Tombs, I couldn’t help feeling sad. Everything in the world is changing. Even emperors cannot avoid life and death. Those glories are now just a touch of melancholy in history. Some bricks in the Ming Tombs still retain the work numbers and names of the bricklayers at the time, which makes me feel how strong the sense of responsibility of the ancients was.

The stele pavilion is located in the center of the sacred road. It is a tall square pavilion with a double eaves and four upturned corners. It was built for Changling. There is a dragon head and tortoise-shaped stone stele in the pavilion, which is more than 6 meters high. It is inscribed with the Great Ming Changling Divine Merit and Sacred Virtue Stele. The inscription is more than 3,500 words long. It was written by Ming Renzong Zhu Gaochi and written by Cheng Nanyun, a famous calligrapher in the early Ming Dynasty. On the east side of the stele is a record of the expenses of the Qing court in repairing the Ming Mausoleum. On the west side is Emperor Jiaqing's discussion on the reasons for the demise of the Ming Dynasty. There are four white stone steles at the four corners of the stele pavilion, and a strange beast named Wangtianxu squatted on the top of each of them. The steles and the stele pavilion complement each other, which looks very solemn and profound. On the east side of the stele pavilion, there was originally a temporary palace, which was the dressing place for the emperor and empress when they came to worship the mausoleum, but it no longer exists.

It is a world cultural heritage and a historical memory of the Ming Dynasty.

Thirteen imperial tombs of the Ming Dynasty are located here. Currently, only three are open to visitors. Among them, only Dingling has an underground palace (excavated by the state in the 1950s). The cultural relics are all reproductions of the original underground palace. Changling (the tomb of Emperor Chengzu Zhu Di and his empress) is the ancestral tomb, and the ground buildings are the most magnificent and best preserved. Among them, the Hall of En'en has been preserved since it was built in the second year of Xuande, almost 600 years ago. Its feature is the sixty golden nanmu pillars in the hall, which is the most spectacular and is one of the oldest royal buildings in Beijing!

This year, I went to the Ming Tombs with my roommate Zhu during the Qingming Festival. It was like visiting graves. Due to time constraints, we only went to Dingling and Changling. Dingling has an underground palace, and Changling is the mausoleum of Emperor Yongle, which is the most luxurious. Comparing Changling and Dingling, you can really feel the brutality and destruction of cultural relics during the founding of the country. The thousand-year-old wooden pillars of Changling are also impressive. But the traffic is really... During holidays, the traffic is jammed, the buses are crowded, and black taxis are rampant.

The main mountain of the Ming Tombs is Tianshou Mountain, which is the backing of the entire mausoleum.
The cemetery should be backed by mountains and face water, with a main mountain in the north as a backer and a river in the south.
Yangcuiling in the east is Longsha, and Dayu Mountain in the west is Husha, forming an embracing trend and gathering energy.
The Dragon Mountain in the east and the Tiger Mountain in the west form a double palace. The palace refers to the palace where the emperors lived in ancient times. Because there are double palaces outside the palace gate, it is called a palace. Many principles of Yin residence are the same as those of Yang residence.

It was snowing in Beijing when I went there that year. The Ming Tombs were surprisingly quiet. The place had a special flavor under the snow.

There are 4 scenic spots open to the Ming Tombs now. Dingling, Changling, Zhaoling, and the main shrine. The 4 scenic spots are not together. It is not very convenient if you don't drive. Dingling has the most people because there is an underground palace. Zhaoling has the least people. Personally, I think you can visit all of them if you have enough time. If you don't have enough time, just go to Dingling. There is also a Ming Palace-Wax Museum near the Ming Tombs that you can visit.

After reading about the Ming Dynasty, I decided to visit the Ming Tombs on New Year's Day.

The Ming Tombs is the general name for the royal mausoleums of the 13 emperors of the Ming Dynasty after the capital was moved to Beijing. Now only the Changling, Zhaoling, Dingling and Shendao scenic areas are open. Although it is a mausoleum, only Dingling has been excavated so far. Dingling is the mausoleum of Emperor Wanli Zhu Yijun and his two queens. The ticket price is 35 yuan per person. Dingling is mainly for underground palaces and cultural relics exhibitions. The underground palace has at least several floors. The deeper you go, the more gloomy it feels. It is empty inside, and the coffins are placed in it coldly. There are few things to see inside.

The Ming Tombs is a rather mysterious place with a strong local atmosphere. Because it is the tomb of an ancient emperor, there are many rules to follow. For example, children and the elderly are not recommended to enter.

It is very large and you can hire a taxi to take you on a tour, or you can enjoy farm-style food there.

Don't join a group tour to the Great Wall and Ming Tombs in Beijing. The van picked you up at 8am at the designated location. Then waited for the bus to drive away at 11:30. Arrived at the Great Wall at 1:30. Back to the bus for lunch at 2:10. Visited specialty shopping for half an hour and had lunch at 3. Then from 3pm to 7pm, we went to two jade cities, a roast duck restaurant, and bought another 160 yuan worth of nonsense skywalk acrobatics. All kinds of tricks to cheat money. At 8pm, we returned to the Bird's Nest hungry and took the subway back to the accommodation. What a rip-off one-day tour! The Ming Tombs were only mentioned in spray-painted advertisements and in the mouths of the tour guide. Fuck your big ye Beijing Great Wall and Ming Tombs one-day tour!

The Ming Tombs, as the name suggests, are the tombs of 13 emperors of the Ming Dynasty. There were 16 emperors in the Ming Dynasty, among whom Zhu Yuanzhang's Xiaoling Mausoleum is in Nanjing, the Jianwen Emperor Zhu Yunwen is missing, and the Daizong Zhu Qiyu, a total of three emperors, were not buried here. Now, there are four main places open to the public in the Ming Tombs: Changling, Dingling, Zhaoling and the Shinto. The most visited ones are Changling, Dingling and the Shinto. The combination of the above-ground buildings of Changling and the underground palace of Dingling, plus a walk on the Shinto, will make the trip to the Ming Tombs perfect.
Because the Ming Tombs and the Great Wall are very close, and there is a special bus line in between, it is recommended to go to the Badaling Great Wall early in the morning, and then walk to the most crowded North Great Wall. After reaching the highest point, continue forward and exit from the Bear Park on the 11th floor of the north, and then take the special bus directly to the Ming Tombs. As for the order of visiting, you can decide it yourself. It is recommended to buy a package ticket here. Since you are here, it is still necessary to take a look, especially the underground palace of Dingling. It feels so deep that you can't walk to the end. Although there are no items inside (there are small exhibition halls on both sides of the entrance of Dingling, which contain some unearthed cultural relics), it is still very impressive to see the style of the Ming Dynasty tombs. Of course, it is very cold inside... Cool breeze O(∩_∩)O~
In addition, I also strongly recommend the main road of the Ming Tombs. The main road is very wide and looks much taller than the Xiaoling Road in Nanjing, but the feeling is also different. The characteristic of the Xiaoling Road is that it is distributed at right angles. It is really beautiful in autumn when the maple leaves turn red. The main road here is probably because there are more imperial tombs, so it is built extra wide. The little animals on both sides of the road are still very cute~

The transportation to the Ming Tombs can be divided into two parts: one is the transportation from Beijing to the Ming Tombs, and the other is the transportation between the four currently open scenic spots in the Ming Tombs.
From Beijing, you can take Metro Line 13 to Xi'erqi Station and transfer to the Changping Line. When I went there, only the first phase of the Changping Line was opened, and the terminus was Nanshao Station. After exiting the subway, you still need to take a nearly 1-hour bus to the Ming Tombs. After the second phase of the Changping Line is opened, you can take the subway directly to the terminus, the Ming Tombs. It is said that shuttle buses will also be opened between the Ming Tombs scenic areas.
So far, the Ming Tombs have opened Changling, Dingling, Zhaoling, and Shenlu. The four attractions are far apart. Except for Dingling and Zhaoling, which are close and can be reached in 20 minutes to half an hour on foot, you need to take the bus to visit other attractions. Because the transportation routes between the attractions are relatively complicated, a bus route map will be attached when you buy tickets. The bus stops at Shenlu, Changling, and Dingling are relatively conspicuous, while Zhaoling is relatively unsightly and unpopular. In addition, it is located in a slightly remote area with few people and the bus stop is not obvious. If you want to go to Zhaoling, please make a plan in advance.
Tickets
Combined ticket (including Shinto, Changling, Dingling, Zhaoling): 135 yuan
Tickets: Changling 50 yuan, Dingling 65 yuan, Zhaoling 35 yuan, Shendao 35 yuan
ps: The combined ticket includes a lunch, which can be consumed at the Changling or Dingling restaurant with the ticket, but it is only available during the lunch period and before 2 o'clock.
◆Route
Take the bus to the Dagong Gate first, get off here, walk through the Dagong Gate and go straight to the entrance of the South Gate of Shenlu. Buy a ticket to enter the Shenlu Yidao Road and visit the North Gate Exit. Take the bus at the bus stop near the exit to Changling or Dingling. You can walk from Dingling to Zhaoling. There are also bus routes between Changling and Dingling. It depends on your own arrangement which one to go first.
◆Reference time
1 day (half day round trip, half day for four attractions. If the second phase of Changping Line is opened, the time spent on the road can be reduced)
◆Others
The Ming Tombs are different from other scenic spots in Beijing. The place where the tombs are located is definitely not a prosperous place. Some of the tombs are located in desolate and remote areas. Although they are 5A scenic spots, the supporting facilities are poor. If you are traveling independently, especially alone, you must make a good plan in advance. If you plan to visit for a long time, it is best to bring dry food, charge your mobile phone, and check the mobile map at any time if you are not sure of the direction.
In addition, although I am also an atheist, you can take pictures of objects on the ground in special attractions such as mausoleums. After entering the Dingling Underground Palace, whether you believe or not, out of respect or awe, it is best not to take pictures, even though there are some imitations inside, and don't take pictures with the coffin. When I went down to the underground palace, there was a group of Korean tour groups in front of me. The members were all young people. When they arrived at the coffin, they took out their selfie sticks and took a picture with the coffin. At that time, I felt really amused.

If you have time, you should go and feel the royal atmosphere.

First, we went to the Jade City, a Feng Shui treasure land of the Ming Tombs, then the local specialty preserved fruit roast duck, then the sky bridge stunts. The tour fee included money for tipping on the spot, and finally the Emerald City. I hated this itinerary arrangement, so I didn't get off the bus or take photos. I hope that tourists going to Beijing will carefully choose a one-day tour. It is best to get up early to buy train tickets, and drive if you are familiar with transportation. Don't choose this one-day tour that will pit you without negotiation.

We bought a package ticket for the Ming Tombs, which included the Main Sacred Way, Dingling, Changling, and Zhaoling.
We started from the Badaling Great Wall and took a bus to visit the Ming Tombs along the way. Please note that the interval between buses here is relatively long, so you need to be patient.
We first got off the bus at the main road. There are many stone statues on the main road, and they are well preserved and worth seeing. Many people who come to the Ming Tombs don’t go here, which I think is a pity.
After visiting the Shinto shrine, we took a bus to Changling, which is the tomb of Emperor Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty. The Zun'en Hall is very large and imposing. There are some exhibitions inside now. The entire Changling feels big, but there is not much to see.
After leaving Changling, I took the bus again to Dingling, which is the only tomb excavated in the Ming Tombs. There are cultural relics unearthed from Dingling in the exhibition hall, and the underground palace can be visited. There are fewer people, so I am still a little scared.
It is very inconvenient to take a bus to Zhaoling, so we did not go there. Instead, we took a bus directly back to Deshengmen from Dingling.

The scenery is beyond words. Although there is nothing left in the underground mausoleum, one can still feel the grandeur of an emperor's mausoleum.

The mausoleum of Emperor Shenzong is well built on the ground, and there is nothing much underneath.