Ming Tombs

Thirteen of the sixteen Ming emperors are buried in a valley at the foot of the Tianshou Mountains, in tombs laid out from 1409 and chosen for their feng shui, forming part of a UNESCO listing with other imperial tombs. The approach is the Sacred Way, a seven-kilometre avenue lined with pairs of stone officials, elephants, camels, horses and mythical beasts, each carved from a single block. Three tombs are open: Changling, the largest and best preserved, with a hall of enormous nanmu timber columns; Dingling, the only one excavated, where visitors descend into the underground palace; and Zhaoling. The excavation of Dingling in the 1950s damaged much of what it contained.

What you actually see

• The Sacred Way - the avenue of stone animals and officials.
• Changling - the largest tomb, with its hall of giant nanmu columns.
• Dingling - the excavated underground chamber, entered by stairs.
• The valley setting - the tombs spread across a mountain-ringed basin.

When to go

April to May and September to October for mild weather; the Sacred Way is exposed with little shade. Sites are spread kilometres apart and each charges separately. Combining with the Great Wall at Badaling or Mutianyu is standard.

Honest expectations

The three open tombs are far apart and a car or tour is effectively necessary. Dingling's underground chamber is empty, its contents largely destroyed or removed after excavation. Tour groups often allot only an hour.

Nearby

Badaling and Mutianyu sections of the Great Wall lie north and northeast.