Ming Tombs - Changling

Changling is the best-preserved imperial mausoleum on the ground. It is also the first of the Ming Tombs. It is the joint tomb of Emperor Chengzu Zhu Di and his empress, located in Wanshou Mountain, Changping District, Beijing. The visiting scope of the scenic area is limited to the ground buildings. Among them, the main hall of Changling, the Hall of En, is the largest. It displays many cultural relics from the Ming Dynasty Zhu Di period, including crowns, dragon robes, and the queen's hairpins. In the center stands the statue of Emperor Chengzu Zhu Di, which looks very tall and majestic. The pillars of the main hall are all made of golden nanmu, and there are protective measures around the pillars to prevent damage. After passing through the main hall is the Ming Building. You need to go through the cave door under the Ming Building and go up the stairs. Under the eaves of the Ming Building, there stands a stone tablet about three or four meters high, engraved with seven large characters "Tomb of Emperor Chengzu Wen". The handwriting has witnessed too many things after six hundred years of wind and rain. Although it has faded a little, it will not reduce the majesty and domineering of Emperor Zhu Di in governing the world. The 50 yuan ticket in peak season is still worth it to see the royal cemetery!

I went there on December 31st in winter. The scenery was not good. The combined ticket (Changling, Dingling, and Shinto) was 80 yuan for adults and 40 yuan for seniors. There were no places to eat around, only farmhouses. There were small stalls at the door selling snacks. It was best to bring some hot food such as self-heating rice, which tasted very comfortable. Among the Ming Tombs, only Changling, Dingling, Shinto and Zhaoling were open. Other tombs were said to be closed. However, they were all similar, so it was enough to visit these two tombs. The distance between different tombs is quite far, so it is recommended to drive by yourself.

It takes 1 hour to complete the tour. The tower of the mausoleum is smaller than that of the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum. Apart from the exhibits in the hall, there is not much to see. There is a mailbox at the entrance. Friends who like to send postcards can write postcards and send them there. There are some stalls selling souvenirs, clothes and hats at the exit. The parking lot is quite large, and the fee is 5 yuan.

The mausoleum of Emperor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty was far away in Nanjing, and the whereabouts of Emperor Jianwen were unknown, so the Changling Mausoleum where Emperor Chengzu Zhu Di and Empress Xu were buried together became the first of the Thirteen Tombs. Passing through two gates - the Lingmen Gate and the Zun'en Gate, you will see the Zun'en Hall, the core building of the Changling Mausoleum. It is one of the largest wooden structures in China, and its scale is only slightly inferior to the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City. In terms of materials, it is even inferior to the Hall of Supreme Harmony. All 32 pillars inside are made of whole golden nanmu wood.

As a 5A-level scenic spot, it is a little desolate. Perhaps because of its remote location, there are not many tourists. If you are not interested in this period of history, it is not very playable.

Ming Changling is the first of the Ming Tombs. It is the joint tomb of Emperor Zhu Di and Empress Xu. It is located on the southern foot of the main peak of Tianshou Mountain in Changping District, Beijing. Ming Changling was built in the seventh year of Yongle (1409). It is the largest and earliest among the Ming Tombs. The mausoleum is large in scale, with strict materials and fine construction. The project is voluminous and took a long time to build. The underground palace alone took four years. The ground buildings are also the best preserved. The mausoleum palace buildings of Changling cover an area of ​​about 120,000 square meters. Its plane layout is in the shape of a front and a back circle. The square part in front is composed of three courtyards connected in front and back. It is the ancestral mausoleum among the Ming Tombs and one of the most important tourist attractions in the mausoleum area.

In the Hall of Enfaith, there is a bronze statue of Emperor Yongle sitting on a nine-dragon throne. The statue is lifelike and exquisitely crafted. It is an exquisite work of art in history. In addition, hundreds of cultural relics unearthed from the underground palace of the Ming Tombs are displayed, which are very exquisite.

The Ming Building is square in shape, with arched doors on all four sides and a cross-shaped dome ceiling in the middle. The roof is a double-eaved hip roof with yellow tubular tiles, and the words "Changling" are written on the plaque under the eaves. There is a stele in the middle of the building, with the words "Da Ming" written in seal script on the plaque, and "The Tomb of Emperor Chengzu Wen" engraved on the body of the stele.

The Ming Changling Mausoleum was built in the seventh year of Yongle (1409). It is the largest and earliest mausoleum in the Ming Dynasty.

The mausoleum area starts from the stone archway in the south and leans against the main peak of Tianshou Mountain in the north. It is surrounded by mountains and green trees on all sides. In the south, there are two mountains, Longhu, facing each other on the left and right, like a gate. The endless mountain water flows from west to east, like a natural mausoleum-protecting river. The north-south highway connects Changling to the Forbidden City like a giant dragon. The Ming Changling is the earliest, largest, most magnificent, most sophisticated in craftsmanship and materials, and the most complete in the protection of the original building. After six hundred years of vicissitudes, it is still intact and magnificent. It has long been announced as the first national key cultural relic protection unit. It not only attracts millions of Chinese and foreign tourists and experts and scholars from all walks of life every year with its grand ancient buildings, brilliant artistic achievements, and rich historical and cultural connotations, but also Emperor Yongle is a world-famous emperor of a generation of achievements, so Changling is one of the most famous tourist attractions in the world.

The best things of the Ming Dynasty must be in Changling. Fortunately, it has not been excavated like Dingling, otherwise more good things would be destroyed. There is a hall in Changling that exhibits some cultural relics. Apart from that, most places are just for casual strolls. It can be used as a walking place in summer.

The tomb of Emperor Chengzu Zhu Di, the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty, is also the ancestral tomb of the Ming Tombs. Zhu Di's story is very legendary, he is an emperor in ancient times.

In comparison, Changling is relatively quiet and suitable for bringing foreigners. The distance is not too long, and you can see ancient buildings and some cultural relics from Dingling. It is good to introduce some stories.

The Ming Changling Mausoleum is the first of the Ming Tombs. It is the joint tomb of Emperor Zhu Di and Empress Xu. It is located at the southern foot of the main peak of Tianshou Mountain in Changping District, Beijing. The Ming Changling Mausoleum was built in the seventh year of Yongle (1409). It is the largest and earliest of the 13 tombs. The mausoleum is large in scale, with strict and sophisticated materials, fine construction, and a huge amount of work. The construction took a long time, and the underground palace alone took four years. The ground buildings are also the best preserved.

The wooden components of the Ling'en Hall in Changling are all made of golden nanmu. The stone carvings in Changling are very exquisite.

The Ming Tombs Scenic Area, as the name suggests, is where the 13 emperors of the Ming Dynasty are buried. Although there were a total of 16 emperors in the Ming Dynasty, why are there only 13 tombs? I am too lazy to look up the information.

Among them, Changling and Dingling are the most famous, and they are also the only two tombs visited by tourists year after year. (Others include Deling, Tailing, etc.)

Dingling is most famous for its only open underground palace, while Changling is the most famous because it is the first of the Thirteen Tombs.

Changling is not very big and you can finish the tour in an hour.

The time I chose was 12 noon. At this time, all the tour groups must have lunch, right? The scenic area was very quiet.

The weather was nice that day. It was just the end of March and the temperature in Beijing had risen to 24 or 25 degrees, so the scenic area seemed even cooler and quieter. (It must have been scary at night.)

The architectural style and pattern of Changling is exactly the same as that of the Forbidden City (they were built three years apart) - the archway with the same name is followed by the hall with the same name. However, the scale of Changling is naturally much smaller than that of the Forbidden City.

In the whole Changling Mausoleum, there is only one "Qian'en Gate" and the "Lian'en Hall" behind it. Unlike the Forbidden City: Taihe Gate, Taihe Hall, Zhonghe Gate, Zhonghe Hall, Baohe Gate, Baohe Hall, Qianqing Gate, Qianqing Hall...

The Ling'en Hall is very large and spacious. In the middle is a statue of a majestic emperor sitting on a chair. This should be the original owner of Changling - Emperor Zhu Di.

Apart from that, there is nothing too extraordinary. A tour guide came over and talked about the special place of "Lian'en Hall": It turned out to be the largest palace built of nanmu in the world!

Nanmu is naturally a very precious wood, and it should come from Yunnan in the southwest, right? It is said that in order to build this hall for the emperor, many people died in the logging and transportation of this nanmu.

I don't see anything special about it?

Only after entering the hall did I see what was going on. Wow!

The mausoleum of Emperor Ming Zhu Di is located on the same central axis as the Forbidden City. The above-ground buildings are well preserved and look magnificent.

The Ming Changling Mausoleum is the joint tomb of Emperor Zhu Di and Empress Xu. It was built in 1409. It is the largest and earliest mausoleum among the Thirteen Tombs, and it is also the most intact ground building to date. It is a national key cultural relic protection unit and a world cultural heritage. The Changling Mausoleum is large in scale, covering an area of ​​about 120,000 square meters, and adopts a layout with a front and a back circle. The materials are strictly selected and the construction is meticulous. Its main hall is built on a three-story white marble platform, with a width of nine rooms and a depth of five rooms, corresponding to the "Nine Fives". What is amazing is that all the wood pieces in the main hall are made of golden nanmu, with a diameter of more than one meter and a height of more than ten meters. There are 60 golden nanmu pillars, which are magnificent and unparalleled in the world.

The Ming Tombs is the collective name for the tombs of 13 emperors after the Ming Dynasty moved its capital to Beijing. Today, only four scenic spots are open: Changling, Zhaoling, Dingling, and Shendao (Zhaoling was not open for some reason on the day we visited). Tickets can be purchased for each scenic spot separately, or a combined ticket can be purchased.

Although it is a mausoleum, only Dingling has been excavated underground so far.

Changling is the first of the Ming Tombs. It is the tomb of Emperor Chengzu Zhu Di and the largest imperial tomb among the Thirteen Tombs. The Changling Museum houses various unearthed cultural relics.

The treasure of the Changling Mausoleum of the Ming Dynasty is the Golden Phoebe Hall, which was built six hundred years ago using golden nanmu wood from the deep mountains of Sichuan and Hubei.

The mausoleum of the Ming Dynasty emperor is a joint burial site for the emperor and the empress.

The Changling Hall is a precious cultural relic. I have painted the front facade of the Hall of En'en. This hall is amazing. It is the original structure left over from the Ming Dynasty. When Emperor Qianlong demolished and renovated it, this place was spared because it was too important. The scenic area is inconvenient for transportation and is suitable for self-driving.

The Ming Changling Mausoleum is the first of the Ming Tombs and the ancestral mausoleum of the 13 Tombs. It is the joint burial tomb of Emperor Yongle Zhu Di and Empress Xu. It is located on the southern foot of the main peak of Tianshou Mountain in Changping District. It is the largest building in the 13 Tombs, built the earliest, and the ground buildings are the best preserved. The mausoleum palace buildings of Changling cover an area of ​​about 120,000 square meters, and its floor plan is in the shape of a front and a back circle. The square part in the front consists of three courtyards connected in front and back. There is a bronze statue of Emperor Yongle Zhu Di in the Hall of En'en. Hundreds of cultural relics unearthed from the underground palace of the Ming Tombs are also displayed in the hall, and a live video of the excavation of the underground palace in 1956 is played.

The Ming Changling Mausoleum is the joint burial site of Emperor Chengzu Zhu Di, the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and his empress Xu. It is the largest, earliest built, and best preserved building among the Ming Tombs. It is the ancestral mausoleum among the Ming Tombs.

Changling has not been developed yet, but we decided to visit it because of its status. The main attraction of Changling is the Hall of Praying for Grace. All the wood in the hall is made of golden nanmu wood. The thickest double-eaved golden pillar is 12.58 meters high and 1.124 meters in diameter at the bottom, which is a rare and fine wood in the world.

Whether it is Changling or Dingling, the site selection of the imperial tomb is very particular, including the layout of the cemetery. In order to reflect the emperor's mausoleum, it is undoubtedly a Feng Shui treasure land.

Changling is very conveniently accessible by public transportation, and it is the first of the Thirteen Tombs. There is also a golden nanmu hall. There are many foreign friends.

The Ming Changling Mausoleum is located at the southern foot of the main peak of Tianshou Mountain. It is the joint burial mausoleum of the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Di, and his empress, Xu. It is the largest and earliest built mausoleum among the Ming Tombs, and its ground buildings are the best preserved. It is the ancestral mausoleum among the Ming Tombs and one of the most important tourist attractions in the mausoleum area. Zhu Di, the Emperor Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty, was an emperor who made great achievements in the Ming Dynasty. According to historical records, he was "strange in appearance, with beautiful beards, wise and brave, and had great strategies." As early as when he was the Prince of Yan, he had led his generals to war many times and controlled the soldiers and horses along the border.

Zhu Di had a great influence on later generations. For example, the accent of Tianjin is quite different from that of the surrounding areas. After Zhu Di's "Jingnan", he successfully seized the throne and moved the capital to Beijing. He brought many southern troops to the north, mainly stationed in Tianjin, which gradually formed the Tianjin dialect that is quite different from the surrounding dialects. The Ling'en Hall in Changling is the only mausoleum hall preserved in the Ming Dynasty imperial mausoleums to this day, and it can be said to be a precious relic of ancient Chinese wooden structures.

Large in scale and high in grade. This palace was built in imitation of the Jinluan Palace (also known as Fengtian Palace and Huangji Palace in the Ming Dynasty) of the imperial palace of the Ming Dynasty. It is nine bays wide and five bays deep, and is one of the rare large palaces in China. The roof of the palace is the highest grade of ancient buildings, with double eaves and hip roofs, covered with yellow glazed tiles. The floor of the palace is paved with "golden bricks".

The three-layer white marble platform of the Hall of En'en in Changling is the highest standard of ancient Chinese architecture. Only the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City, the platform of the Temple of Heaven, and the Imperial Ancestral Temple can adopt this model. Among the Ming Tombs, only the Hall of En'en in Changling adopts the three-layer white marble platform.

As the ancestral tomb of the Thirteen Tombs, Changling has a unique specification and status. Among the sixteen emperors of the Ming Dynasty during the nearly three hundred years, only Zhu Di and his father Zhu Yuanzhang are the most famous. Zhu Di is indeed remarkable, and this place is worth a visit.

The most worth seeing in the whole Changling is the 60 large pillars of the Ling'en Hall, which are more than one meter in diameter. They are made of nanmu wood. If converted into a bracelet, how many beads can be made? They are very valuable. Every art enthusiast sighs when seeing so many treasures. It is really worth the trip!

The Changling Tomb is the first of the Ming Tombs. It is the joint burial place of Emperor Chengzu Zhu Di (Yongle), the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and Empress Xu. It was built from 1409 to 1427, a total of 18 years. Changling is the earliest, largest, most magnificent, most sophisticated, and most well-preserved mausoleum among the Ming Tombs.

The Zun'en Hall in Changling is the largest existing nanmu hall in China, even larger than the golden nanmu hall in the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City.

Changling is a famous mausoleum area located about 40 kilometers northwest of Beijing. In front of the main peak of Tianshou Mountain, it is the joint burial tomb of Emperor Chengzu Zhu Di, the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and his empress Xu. Among the Ming Tombs in Beijing, it is the earliest built, largest, most magnificent, most sophisticatedly crafted, and most completely preserved cemetery.

*transportation:

We took the bus at Deshengmen. You can go directly to Changling or Dingling. It depends on how you plan your route.

I don't think the ride was very long, but it took about an hour to get to Changping.



Attractions Public Transportation Routes

Ming Dingling Mausoleum 1. Take bus No. 345 from Deshengmen West Station to Changping Dongguan Road Intersection and transfer to bus No. 314; 2. Take bus No. 881 from Deshengmen West Station to Changping Dongguan Road Intersection and transfer to bus No. 314.

Ming Changling

Ming Zhao Mausoleum

1. Take bus No. 345 from Deshengmen West Station to Changping Sports Committee and transfer to bus No. 22; 2. Take bus No. 22 Changping from Beijing Lishuiqiao to Zhaoling Village; 3. Take bus No. 881 from Deshengmen Station to Shahe Station and transfer to bus No. 22 Changping.

Total Shinto

1. Take Line 345 from Deshengmen West Station to Changping Sports Committee and transfer to Line 22; 2. Take Line 345 and Line 881 from Deshengmen West Station to Changping Dongguan Intersection and transfer to Line 314 and get off at Nanxincun Station; 3. Take Beijing Subway Line 5 to Tiantongyuan and take Line 22, Changping.

Juyongguan 1. Take Bus 345 from Deshengmen to Shahe, then transfer to Bus No. 68 to the scenic spot; 2. Take Bus 883 from Deshengmen to Nankou East Street, then transfer to Bus No. 68 to the scenic spot; 3. Get off at Longze Station of the Urban Rail (Line 13) and transfer to Bus No. 68 of Changping District Urban-Rural Shuttle Bus to the scenic spot.

Yinshan Pagoda Forest 1. Take bus No. 345 from Deshengmen and transfer to bus No. 31 at Changping North Station to get off at Yinshan Pagoda Forest Station.



We went to Changling first and then Dingling. Because Changling can be visited at will, and Dingling is relatively large, but Dingling has an underground palace, so friends who like tomb robbing can go down and take a look.

In fact, it is not as gloomy as imagined. Personally, I think it is more of a museum.



The air in the suburbs is quite comfortable. There are basically no tourists in winter. So it is really comfortable to play in the off-season. The Ming Tombs is also a place I insisted on going to. One reason is that I was particularly interested in Zhu Di when I watched a TV series when I was a child. The second reason is that I like architecture and I still want to see the royal cemetery. So it depends on what kind of person you like to travel. People who don’t like history may not be interested because it is really far away and there is nothing special. So it depends on what kind of person you are.

The Feng Shui treasure land selected by the royal family has beautiful scenery, but the transportation seems to be not very convenient.

We decided to visit the Ming Tombs after visiting the Aviation Museum. When we entered the mausoleum area, the first scenic spot we came into contact with was the Divine Road. Here we learned that the Ming Tombs scenic area is mainly divided into four parts: Divine Road, Dingling, Changling, and Zhaoling. The Divine Road scenic area only sells tickets for the Divine Road, 35 yuan/ticket and the Four Scenic Spots Pass, 135 yuan/ticket. Tickets for Dingling, Changling, and Zhaoling must be purchased at their respective entrances. We discussed going to see Changling, which is the deepest part of the entire scenic area and is about 5 kilometers away from the Divine Road scenic area. We drove along the right road. The road is a two-way two-lane road. There are many vehicles during the holidays, and some vehicles are overtaking in the opposite direction, which is a bit congested. Fortunately, it didn't take long for us to come to Changling. There is a parking lot at the door. No card is required for entry. It is released directly. After our visit, a parking fee of 5 yuan is charged. The adult ticket here is 50 yuan, and the student ticket is 27 yuan. It is quite interesting. It is half price and turns a corner. We arrived at the venue at 2:25, and the royal sacrificial ceremony began at 2:30. Actors dressed in the costumes of Ming Dynasty officials and soldiers stood on both sides. The emperor, led by the protocol officials, paid homage, burned incense, and read sacrificial texts. Then the empress accompanied the empress dowager and the emperor's biological mother and imperial concubine in paying homage under the guidance of the female guest officials. The ceremony basically recreated the grand ceremony of the royal sacrificial ceremony of the Ming Dynasty, which gave tourists a new experience and was more intuitive than simply visiting. Changling is the first of the Ming Dynasty's 13 Tombs. It is the joint tomb of Ming Chengzu Zhu Di and Empress Xu, also known as the Yan Wang often mentioned in storytelling novels. It is the tomb of Zhu Di who usurped the throne from Beijing to Nanjing. The entire Changling is divided into the Mausoleum Gate, the Monument Pavilion, and the Mausoleum Gate in order from the entrance. After entering the Mausoleum Gate, there are the Shenbo Furnace, the Zun'en Hall, the Lingxing Gate, the Five Offerings, the Fangcheng, and the Baoding. Among them, the Zun'en Hall is magnificent, surrounded by three layers of white marble railings. Entering the main hall, there are dozens of nanmu pillars, which two adults probably can't hug. In the middle is a statue of Zhu Di, which is probably sculpted later. In the main hall are Zhu Di's life introduction and related achievements, as well as a jade exhibition. Entering the Fangcheng from the backyard is the Baoding where Zhu Di and his wife were buried together. The top of the Fangcheng entrance is the Ming Building with a large stele inside. The entire cemetery is well preserved and has great ornamental value. With the sacrificial performances, it feels good and can fully understand the planning layout and architectural form of the Ming Dynasty imperial mausoleum. We think if we have enough time, we can buy a pass and spend a whole day to carefully visit each scenic spot. If time is tight, we can choose one place to enjoy. The most expensive ticket is Dingling, which is the tomb of Emperor Shenzong Xian Zhu Yijun, also known as Wanli. The underground palace has been excavated and can be visited; Zhaoling is said to have lower viewing value and the ticket price is also low. If you have time, you can visit all of them. I saw that the Shenlu is composed of stone archways, big red gates, stele towers, stone statues, dragon and phoenix gates, etc., all outdoors. The weather was too hot, so we didn't see it.

Changling is the first of the Thirteen Tombs and is the mausoleum of Emperor Yongle. The flowers are in bloom and it is quite beautiful.

The Ming Tombs only includes 3 mausoleums and 1 main sacred road, not all 13 mausoleums. We must thank the great Premier Zhou for this, because of his obstruction, Changling has not been opened until now and has been completely preserved. The thick and sturdy golden nanmu in the main hall of Changling is hard to find nowadays. In the middle is a sitting statue of Zhu Di, and around are some introductions to the general history of the Ming Dynasty, mainly some historical materials from Zhu Di's reign. There are also many exhibits in the exhibition hall. The following twelve mausoleums are basically built according to the standard of Changling, and the main structure is the same as Changling. Note that only Dingling has opened the underground palace in the entire Ming Tombs.

Changling, ticket price is 35/20 yuan, simple tour, I personally think there is nothing special about it, it is similar to our Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum.