Ming Tombs - Beijing

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Great Wall of China - Badaling Section
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Forbidden City - Former "white house" to the Emporers of China
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Ming Tombs - 400 year old excavation of the final Ming Emperor
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China driving, Beijing traffic, beijing builldings
Beijing, China
suzhou, tong li - little venice water city
Beijing Cloissonet Factory - lavishly decorated copper, kiln-fired urns, pots, and plates
Forbidden City - Former "white house" to the Emporers of China
Great Wall of China - Badaling Section
Great Wall of China - Mutianyu Section
Beijing Hutong - 700 year old neighborhood with rickshaws and labyrinth streets
Ming Tombs - 400 year old excavation of the final Ming Emperor
Sacred Way, Sacred Path - Ming Tomb garden of stately and animal statues
Summer Palace - Former garden of the Emperors on a lake
Temple of Heaven - former Chinese Emperor worship area
Tiananmen Square - memorials, governement buildings, Mao's tomb
Beijing Lacquer and Woodcarving Factory
Suzhou City Traffic
Suzhou City Traffic
Suzhou - Fisherman's Garden, Master of the Nets Garden
Suzhou Humble Garden
Suzhou silk factory
Suzhou, Tong Li - Little Venice water city
funny signs gallery - funny chinese signs
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MickTravels to China - Beijing, Suzhou
Trip Preparation
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MickTravels to China - Beijing, Suzhou
The Ming Dynasty had 13 emporers who reigned from 1368-1644. All 13 emperors are buried in this vast section of countryside. 4 Ming Tombs are open to the public including the one we visited of the 13th emperor.

The Ming Tombs are a short distance away from the Badaling section of the Great Wall of China. Before we made it to the tombs, we stopped for lunch at - what else - an artisan shop. This time it was a very large jade factory. Well, it was a very large showroom anyway.\n\nThis was the most impressive piece of art I think I've ever seen. A 10-ton ship carved entirely out of jade. You can get a little perspective by comparing its size to the standard velvet rope barrier. See the chain links dropping from the sails - they are real independent, free-moving links carved from a solid piece of jade. No seems. The ship is decorated with all things Chinese - dragons in the front, a small replica of the Forbidden City entrance, and a pagoda pavilion. There was no price on this baby. Heck, the shipping alone must cost a million.

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The first thing you see at the Ming Tombs is a one-room museum that stores some of the artifacts found here when they excavated in the 1960s. This stone tablet is t least 450 years old.

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A Chinese tourist poses against the 13th empress's coat of 100 children. There are images of 100 kids on this silk coat. Ming Tombs, Beijing

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A closeup of a stone tablet inscription at the Ming Tombs, Beijing

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The 13th Ming Empress's crown has 9 Phoenix birds. Ming Tombs, Beijing

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Descending into the earth to see the Ming Tombs, Beijing

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An original door down in the tombs.

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Here they are. These coffins are not original. The litter on the floor is money. See the next photo for an explanatory sign. Interesting to note is that the emperor and empress' bodies are still in these coffins. Ming Tombs, Beijing

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Sign explaining the Ming Tombs, Beijing

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Closeup of the banner that hangs from the ceiling of the Ming Tombs, Beijing

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The emperor's actual throne is down here, too. Man, this thing doesn't look like it could get any heavier. Somebody had to bring it down here 450 years ago. Ming Tombs, Beijing

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Original urn, Ming Tombs, Beijing

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Looking back at the emperor's and 2 empress' thrones. Ming Tombs, Beijing

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Here's one of the empress's thrones. There were 2, one for each empress that the 13th emperor had, I presume. Ming Tombs, Beijing

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Exiting the tomb area and heading for the stairs up. It seemed a lot deeper when we were going down the entrance. Ming Tombs, Beijing

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Staircase exit out of the subterranean. Ming Tombs, Beijing

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A pavilion shelters a large explanatory stone at the Ming Tombs, Beijing

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Here's the monolith protected by that pavilion. Ming Tombs, Beijing

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If you're in a royal place, you've got to have carved beast heads as decorations. Ming Tombs, Beijing

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Map of the 13 Ming Tombs, Beijing

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Map of the 13th emperor's tomb that we visited. Many of the Funny Signs I photographed came from here. Figures, when the place is called DingLing. Ming Tombs, Beijing

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