Beijing Changling Tomb Tour

Changling Tomb is the largest and best preserved of the thirteen Ming Tombs near Beijing. Changling, 4 kilometers from the entrance, is the tomb of Emperor Zhudi (1403 - 1424) and empress Xushi. The layout is identical to the tomb of the first Ming emperor in Nanjing and is rather like the Forbidden City in miniature.

Structures proceeding along the central axis are: the Front Gate to the tomb, the Gate of Eminent Favor, the Hall of Eminent Favor, the Dragon and the Phoenix Gate, Soul Tower and the Wall-Encircled Earth Mound, of which the Hall of Eminent Favor is the most impressive and important. Totally, the structures at Changling occupy an area of 120,000 square meters.

The Sacred Way, Dingling Tomb and Changling Tomb are the highlights of the 13 Ming Tombs.

Highlight of Changling Tomb

Hall of Eminent Favor

The Hall of Eminent Favor covers 1,956 square meters, nearly the same as of the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City. The 32 huge 12.58 meter-tall pillars of the hall are each made from a single nanmu tree trunk. This valuable timber came from Sichuan, Hubei, Henan and Jiangxi provinces, all thousands of kilometers away from Beijing. It is said that it took about five years just to transport these enormous tree trunks. This scale of historic project is rarely seen in other parts of the world. The hall is the largest and most magnificent structure of nanmu wood still existing in China. This hall has becomes the exhibition hall for the historical relics unearthed from Chang Ling.

Location: located in Ming Tombs Beijing

Opening Hours: 08:30 – 17:30

How to get there

You can take the bus no. 919 at the Deshengmen Xi Station, and get off at Changping Xi Guan Station. Then, you take the bus no. 314 and get off at the Dingling Tomb Station or Changling Tomb Station.

How to get to Badaling Great Wall from Changling of Ming Tombs

Take bus no. 314 at Dingling Tomb or Changling Tomb, and get off at Ming Huang La Xiang Gong Station, then take the bus no. 919 (慢) at the South Gate of the Ming Dynasty Wax Museum, and get off at Badaling Great Wall.

Weather/Best Time to Go

Beijing enjoys the humid continental climate with hot humid summers, cold dry winters, shorter spring and autumn. You can have a Beijing tour any time of the year, because it can give fresh feeling by enjoying the special tour of the four seasons.

Spring, summer and autumn are all the best time of year to visit, when the area surrounding the vaults is alive with trees and blooming flowers. It is a good place to visit if you are interested in dynastic history of Ming. However, a sunny day is much better, and you can forecast Beijing weather of your trip.

Travel Tips

• The Changling Tomb of 13 Ming Tombs are on the way to Badaling Great Wall from Beijing. It is best to arrange the two places in a day.
• You are necessary to consider carefully whether you should enter the underground chambers, because the atmosphere and dull lighting may be a problem for you.