The Ming Tombs

September 24th, 2011

Tamara and Barry in front of the Ming Tomb entrance

If you have been following my adventures in China, you would have followed my trip to the Qing tombs. If I were to compare both, the Qing tombs were more sensational than the Ming tombs. The Ming tombs, however, have historical significance.

The Ming Tombs are located about 48 km (31 miles) northwest of Beijing at a carefully selected site. The Ming Tombs site was chosen by the third Ming Dynasty emperor YongLe (1402 - 1424), who moved the capital city of China from Nanjing to the present location of Beijing. He is credited with envisioning the layout of the ancient city of Beijing as well as a number of landmarks and monuments located therein. After the construction of the Imperial Palace (the Forbidden City) in 1420, YongLe selected his burial site and created his own mausoleum.

From the Yongle Emperor onwards, 13 Ming Dynasty Emperors were buried in the area now known as the Ming Tombs. The tombs of the first two Ming Emperors are located near Nanjing (the capital city during their reigns). Emperor ChongZhen, who hung himself in April 1644, was the last to be buried here, but on a smaller scale than his predecessors. The Ming Tombs form the most extensive burial complex of any Chinese dynasty and are one of the finest preserved pieces of 15th century Chinese art and architecture.