Beijing Ming Tombs or the Thirteen Tombs of Ming Dynasty is our next stop in my Beijing tour with Mom and brother.
50 kilometers (31 miles) northwest from Beijing City, at the foot of Tianshou Mountain, is the Ming Tombs Scenic Area, where lie the mausoleums of thirteen emperors of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644). Since 1409 when Zhu Di, the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty, built his Changling Tomb here, the succeeding twelve emperors had their resting places built around Changling during the next 230 years, covering a total area of over 120 square kilometers (46.3 square miles). This is the best preserved mausoleum area with the most emperors buried. Every year millions of tourists come to the site to appreciate its long history and palatial architecture. SOURCE.
In the scenic area, each mausoleum has its own independent unit. The layout and arrangement of all the thirteen mausoleums are very similar, but they vary in size as well as in the complexity of their structures. Each was built in an area at the foot of the mountain, with distances ranging from half a kilometer (547 yards) to eight kilometer (8,749 yards) between them. The tombs stretch out on the two sides of Changling Tomb in a fan shape, except for the Siling Tomb, which sits separately in the southwest corner. From site selection to design, great attention was paid to the harmony and unity with nature, pursuing a perfect situation of ‘made by God’ and reflecting the philosophy ‘the unity of heaven and humanity’. As outstanding representatives of the ancient Chinese mausoleum, the Ming Tombs demonstrate the richness of traditional Chinese culture.SOURCE.
Interesting, isn't it? And, here's my favorite ceiling there...
And my favorite designs...
I'm not into designing and architecture but I assure you that I appreciated these so much...
Quite a site to behold, isn't it?
To go there, follow these directions:
How to visit Ming Tombs From Badaling Great Wall?
A popular itinerary for touring the Ming Tombs and the nearby attractions is recommended: Badaling Great Wall → Ming Emperors Wax Museum → Sacred Way → Dingling → Changling → Zhaoling
If you have only one day, you can omit some sites and go like this: Badaling Great Wall → Sacred Way → Changling
Bus 877 can take you from Deshengmen to Badaling Great Wall. After touring the wall, you can take bus 879 to the Sacred Way (Nanxin Village Station), Dingling and Changling. Zhaoling is within walking distance
Will post more on our next stop! (*wink*)
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