Nestled in a valley spanning approximately 120 square kilometers at the southern foot of Tianshou Mountain in the northwestern suburbs of Beijing lie thirteen imperial mausoleums of the Ming Dynasty, collectively known as the world-renowned Ming Tombs. As the largest, most complete, and most numerous complex of imperial mausoleums containing emperors and empresses in China, the Ming Tombs are not only a “living archive” of Ming history but also, through their grand architectural norms and profound cultural significance, a model showcasing the ancient imperial burial system and funerary culture. They were designated as a National Key Cultural Relic Protection Unit in 1961 and inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2003.
The construction of the Ming Tombs began in the 7th year of the Yongle era (1409 AD) and ended in the 1st year of the Shunzhi era of the Qing Dynasty (1644 AD), spanning 235 years. They are the final resting place for thirteen Ming emperors, including the Yongle Emperor (Zhu Di), the Hongxi Emperor (Zhu Gaozhi), and the Xuande Emperor (Zhu Zhanji), along with twenty-three empresses, two crown princes, over thirty imperial concubines, and one eunuch. The entire burial complex is backed by Tianshou Mountain to the north and surrounded by Mang Mountain, HuYu Mountain, and Long Mountain to the east, west, and south, forming an excellent feng shui pattern of “backing onto hills and facing waters, sheltering from wind and gathering energy.” This perfectly aligns with the ancient imperial burial concept of “serving the dead as one serves the living” — intended both to display imperial authority and to pray for the perpetual stability of the realm and the continuity of descendants.
The layout of the Ming Tombs follows the principle of “overall unity with individual tomb independence.” All mausoleums are arranged along a north-south central axis defined by the approximately 7-kilometer-long Sacred Way. Serving as the “gateway” to the necropolis, the Sacred Way begins with the Stone Memorial Archway at its southern end and sequentially features the Great Red Gate, the Stele Pavilion, Stone Statues of Men and Animals (Shixiangsheng), and the Dragon and Phoenix Gate, resembling a ceremonial pathway leading into the heart of imperial power. Among these, the Stone Statues are the most striking feature of the Sacred Way, comprising eighteen pairs of stone animals and six pairs of stone human figures. The animals include lions, xiezhi (mythical creatures), camels, elephants, qilin, and horses, with two pairs of each — one pair standing and one pair kneeling — symbolizing majesty, justice, auspiciousness, and loyalty respectively. The human figures are divided into civil officials, military officers, and meritorious officials, dressed in Ming Dynasty court attire, holding ritual objects, with solemn expressions, silently guarding the burial grounds. Their exquisite carving craftsmanship and lifelike details make them outstanding representatives of Ming Dynasty stone sculpture art.
Among the thirteen mausoleums, the Changling and Dingling tombs are the most representative. Changling, the premier tomb of the Ming Tombs, is the joint burial site of the Yongle Emperor (Zhu Di) and Empress Xu. It is the largest and best-preserved tomb in the complex. The core structure of Changling is the Ling’en Hall (Hall of Eminent Favor). This grand hall sits on a three-tiered white marble platform, stands 29 meters high, and has a width of nine bays and a depth of five bays. Constructed entirely of wood without a single iron nail, the hall features sixty massive columns made of whole namnu (phoebe zhennan) wood. The thickest of these columns has a diameter of 1.17 meters, requiring several people to encircle it with their arms. Having withstood six hundred years of weathering, it remains intact and is hailed as a “masterpiece of ancient Chinese wooden structure architecture.” The Ling’en Hall was where Ming emperors performed ancestral sacrifices. It once housed the spirit tablet of Zhu Di and ritual vessels. Although the original furnishings are no longer present, the hall’s majestic scale still evokes the imperial grandeur of the Ming era.
Dingling is the joint burial tomb of the Wanli Emperor (Zhu Yijun) and his two empresses, Xiaoduan and Xiaojing. It gained widespread recognition due to archaeological excavations conducted between 1956 and 1957, making it the only imperial tomb among the Ming Tombs to have been officially excavated. The underground palace (Xuangong) of Dingling consists of a front hall, middle hall, rear hall, and side halls to the left and right, covering a total area of 1,195 square meters. Built entirely of stone without a single beam or pillar, it is hailed as a “miracle of underground palace architecture.” Archaeologists unearthed nearly 3,000 precious artifacts from Dingling, including a gold crown, phoenix crowns, dragon robes, porcelain, jade objects, and more. Among them, the Wanli Emperor’s “Yishan Gold Crown” weighs only 826 grams. Crafted using the filigree and inlay technique, the dragon patterns on the crown are vividly rendered, representing the pinnacle of Ming Dynasty gold and silver artistry. Empress Xiaojing’s “Three Dragons and Two Phoenixes Crown” is inlaid with thousands of pearls and gems, exuding radiant splendor and showcasing imperial extravagance. These artifacts not only provide valuable physical evidence for researching Ming history, culture, and craftsmanship but also offer a glimpse into the lifestyle of Ming emperors.
Beyond the architecture and artifacts, the Ming Tombs hold rich historical stories and cultural symbolism. For instance, the naming of the tombs often relates to the emperor’s reign title or achievements: “Chang” in Changling signifies “enduring state fortune,” while “Ding” in Dingling symbolizes “stability under heaven.” The selection of tomb sites and their layouts strictly adhered to feng shui principles, with every detail — from mountain ranges to water flow — meticulously considered, reflecting the ancient Chinese understanding of nature and the cosmos. Today, the Ming Tombs have become a cultural site open to the public, attracting millions of visitors annually. As people stroll between the red walls and yellow tiles, they can not only admire the grandeur of ancient architecture but also, through each mausoleum, read the 276-year history of the Ming Dynasty — its rise, decline, glory, and tribulations.
From their initial construction during the Yongle era to their current role in cultural heritage, the Ming Tombs have stood silently at the foot of Tianshou Mountain for six hundred years, enduring the passage of time. They are not merely a vast imperial burial complex but a solidified chapter of Ming history, speaking to the world of that era’s imperial majesty, cultural prosperity, and artistic brilliance, while also embodying the Chinese nation’s relentless efforts in historical preservation and cultural protection.