Eastern Qing Tombs

Eastern Qing Tombs

The Eastern Qing Tombs are a National AAAAA-level Tourist Attraction, a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit, a National Forest Park, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Eastern Qing Tombs are a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit. They served as the primary imperial and imperial concubine burial site of China’s final dynasty and are the largest and most systematically complete ancient imperial mausoleum complex surviving in China. The site includes five imperial tombs—Tomb of Emperor Shunzhi (Xiaoling), Tomb of Emperor Kangxi (Jingling), Tomb of Emperor Qianlong (Yuling), Tomb of Emperor Xianfeng (Dingling), and Tomb of Emperor Tongzhi (Huiling)—as well as four imperial concubine tombs (including those of Eastern Empress Dowager Cian and Western Empress Dowager Cixi), five concubine burial parks, and one princess tomb, interring a total of 14 empresses and 136 imperial consorts.

The cultural relics protection stele at the entrance of the Eastern Qing Tombs. Located in Zunhua City, Tangshan, Hebei Province, the Eastern Qing Tombs lie 125 kilometers west of central Beijing. Legend has it that they were chosen by Emperor Shunzhi during a hunting trip. Construction began in the second year of the Kangxi reign (1663). The mausoleum complex stretches 125 kilometers from north to south and 20 kilometers wide, surrounded by mountains on all sides. To the south lies a narrow valley only 50 meters wide, formed by the facing peaks of Yandun and Tiantai Mountains, commonly known as the Dragon Gate. Within this area, 217 palaces and archways were built over time, forming 15 large and small mausoleums. Centered around Emperor Shunzhi's Xiaoling, these mausoleums are arranged on the southern slopes of Changrui Mountain. Each consists of perimeter walls, the Long’en Gate, the Long’en Hall, side halls, the Square Castle, the Ming Tower, and the burial mound. Among these, the Ming Tower is the tallest structure in each mausoleum complex, housing a stone stele inscribed in Manchu, Chinese, and Mongolian with the posthumous title of the deceased. Behind the Ming Tower lies the “burial mound” (the main grave), beneath which is the underground palace or “treasure chamber” where the coffin was placed. From the stone memorial archway at the southernmost end of the complex to the burial mound of Xiaoling, a spirit way approximately 12 meters wide and 6 kilometers long connects all sections in sequence. Along this path are the Great Red Gate, the Great Stele Pavilion (Hall of Sacred Merits and Virtues), stone statues, the Dragon and Phoenix Gate, the Seven-Arch Bridge, the Small Stele Pavilion (Spirit Way Stele Pavilion), the Long’en Gate, the Long’en Hall, the Square Castle, and the Ming Tower, all arranged in an orderly and hierarchically distinct manner.

The Eastern Qing Tombs is an exceptionally rare geomantic treasure land. To the north, Changrui Mountain acts as a grand backdrop like an emerald screen; to the south, Jinxing Mountain resembles a courtier holding a tablet in tribute; in the middle, Yingbi Mountain serves as a writing desk; to the east, Yingfei Daoyang Mountain coils like a green dragon; and to the west, Huanghua Mountain stands like a white tiger. Two major rivers flow on the east and west, encircling the site like jade belts. The vast, open valley embraced by surrounding mountains is majestic yet serene, truly embodying perfection in landscape and natural beauty. When Emperor Shunzhi hunted in this region, he was so struck by the stunning mountains and waters that he decreed, “This mountain brims with imperial energy and is fit to be my eternal resting place.” Since then, Changrui Mountain has been the site of the grand and magnificent Eastern Qing Tombs. The architecture here is majestic, spectacular, and exquisitely crafted. The vast ancient architectural complex, comprising more than 580 individual structures, includes China’s widest existing stone memorial archway—a five-bay, six-pillar, eleven-story wooden-style structure of ingenious craftsmanship. It also features China’s best-preserved main spirit way of Xiaoling, stretching over 6,000 meters, undulating with the mountain terrain and radiating artistic charm. The exquisite Buddhist stone carvings inside the underground palace of Emperor Qianlong’s Yuling Tomb are breathtaking, hailed by the Panchen Lama as “a rare treasure trove of stone carving art.” The three gold-plated halls of Empress Dowager Cixi’s tomb boast luxurious decorations seldom seen in the world, and the uniquely designed “phoenix-above-dragon-below” stone carvings demonstrate remarkable artistry...

The entire complex showcases exceptional craftsmanship in both wooden and stone structures, representing the pinnacle of Qing-era imperial architecture. Xiaoling Tomb has the most stone statues, totaling 18 pairs, mostly simple and robust in style. Yuling Tomb of Emperor Qianlong is the largest and most magnificent, while the Putuo Yu Dingdong Tomb of Empress Dowager Cixi is the finest example of delicate architecture. Currently, only four sites among the 15 mausoleums are open to visitors: Yuling Tomb, the tombs of the Eastern and Western Empress Dowagers, and the Tomb of the Fragrant Concubine.

In recognition of its undeniable charm and significant historical, artistic, and scientific value, the Eastern Qing Tombs were officially inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List on November 30, 2000. In January 2001, they were rated as a National AAAAA-level Tourist Attraction by the China National Tourism Administration.

Self-driving Routes:

From Beijing: (Beijing Office Contact: 010-82001862)

Beijing Capital Airport Expressway → Beijing–Pinggu Expressway → Pinggu–Jizhou Expressway → Exit at Jizhou → North Outer Ring Road of Jizhou → Machiqiao → Turn left at Shimen, 500 meters ahead → Eastern Qing Tombs

Beijing → Beijing–Shenyang Expressway → Baodi (transfer to Jinji Expressway) → Exit at Jizhou → Machiqiao → Turn left at Shimen, 500 meters ahead → Eastern Qing Tombs

Beijing → Guomao Bridge (East Third Ring) → Beijing–Tongzhou Expressway → Yanjiao → Sanhe → North Outer Ring Road of Jizhou → Machiqiao → Turn left at Shimen, 500 meters ahead → Eastern Qing Tombs

Beijing → Shunyi → Pinggu → Jinhai Lake → Turn left at Wangzhuang Bridge → Turn right at Xiaying Intersection → Turn left at Sungezhuang Intersection → Eastern Qing Tombs

From Tianjin: (Tianjin Office Contact: 022-27300650)

Tianjin → Jinji Expressway → Exit at Jizhou → North Outer Ring Road of Jizhou → Machiqiao → Turn left at Shimen, 500 meters ahead → Eastern Qing Tombs

From the Northeast: (Qinhuangdao Office Contact: 0335-4036383)

Qinhuangdao → Beijing–Shenyang Expressway → Tangshan–Chengde Expressway (exit southbound at Zunhua) → West Outer Ring Road of Zunhua → Turn left at Shimen, 500 meters ahead → Eastern Qing Tombs

From Chengde:

Chengde → Xinglong → Huangyaguan → Turn right at Xiaying Intersection → Turn left at Sungezhuang Intersection → Eastern Qing Tombs

Chengde–Zunhua Expressway → Exit southbound at Zunhua → West Outer Ring Road of Zunhua → Turn left at Shimen, 500 meters ahead → Eastern Qing Tombs

From Tangshan: (Tangshan Office Contact: 0315-2233094)

Tangshan–Zunhua Expressway → Exit southbound at Zunhua → West Outer Ring Road of Zunhua → Turn left at Shimen, 500 meters ahead → Eastern Qing Tombs

Address: At the foot of Changrui Mountain in the northwest of Zunhua City

Type: Ancient Tomb Complex / Cemetery / UNESCO World Heritage Site

Rating: AAAAA

Recommended Visiting Time: 3–5 hours

Phone: 0315-6940888

Official Website: http://www.qingdongling.com/

Opening Hours:

April to October: 8:00–17:00; November to March of the following year: 9:00–16:00.

Ticket Information:

Adults: 152 RMB; seniors, people with disabilities, and students with valid IDs: 92 RMB; children under 1.2 meters tall: free; all tickets include the sightseeing bus.

Further Reading:

·Second Batch of Hebei Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

·29th Batch of National 5A-Level Tourist Attractions (October 2015)

·First Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units