Ming Tombs

The Ming Tombs are a group of imperial mausoleums north of Beijing where 13 Ming dynasty emperors and members of their families were buried.

Ming dynasty: A Chinese dynasty that ruled from 1368 to 1644, founded by Zhu Yuanzhang. Its emperors commissioned the mausoleums and shaped the burial traditions they express.
Changling: The mausoleum of the Yongle Emperor, the largest and best-preserved tomb in the Ming Tombs complex. Its scale and surviving buildings show the mature form of the imperial tomb precinct.
Yongle Emperor: The third Ming emperor, Zhu Di, who ruled from 1402 to 1424 and moved the capital to Beijing. He selected the burial valley and established the first mausoleum there.
UNESCO World Heritage Site: A place recognized under the World Heritage Convention for cultural or natural significance of outstanding universal value. The Ming Tombs form part of the UNESCO listing for the Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
Chinese imperial mausoleum: A monumental burial complex built for a Chinese emperor and often including ritual structures and attendants’ tombs. The Ming Tombs are a major surviving example of this imperial burial form.
Dingling: The mausoleum of the Wanli Emperor, excavated in the twentieth century and containing an underground palace. Its excavated chambers reveal the construction and burial arrangements hidden beneath the mounds.
Zhu Yuanzhang: The Hongwu Emperor who founded the Ming dynasty and was buried at Xiaoling Mausoleum in Nanjing. His burial in Nanjing contrasts with the later Ming emperors’ northern necropolis.
Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties: A UNESCO World Heritage property comprising imperial burial complexes built by Ming and Qing rulers in China. This broader heritage property includes the Ming Tombs alongside other dynastic mausoleums.
Feng shui: A Chinese system of arranging places in relation to landscape, orientation, and flows of qi. The site’s mountain setting and orientation reflect principles of auspicious placement.
Ling'en Hall: The principal timber ritual hall at a Ming imperial mausoleum, used for ceremonies honoring the deceased emperor. This hall anchored rites performed before the tomb mound.

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Forbidden CityRelated: They formed another major ceremonial landscape of the Ming court around its capital.