The tomb of the Zhengtong Emperor (1427–1442), who famously became emperor twice. Captured by the Mongols after a disastrous military campaign, he was eventually returned to Beijing, but not before another had assumed the title of Son of Heaven in his absence, whom he then dethroned in a palace coup. Not open for visitors.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
28.6 MILES
Enclosed by 3.5km of citadel walls at the very heart of Beijing, the Unesco-listed Forbidden City is China’s largest and best-preserved collection of…
21.98 MILES
A marvel of Chinese garden design and one of Beijing's must-see attractions, the Summer Palace was the royal retreat for emperors fleeing the suffocating…
29.66 MILES
Flanked by triumphalist Soviet-style buildings, Tian'anmen Sq is an immense void of paved stone (440,000 sq metres, to be precise) at the symbolic centre…
27.91 MILES
Beihai Park, inside the old Imperial City, looks much as it would have done in the 18th century when it served as Emperor Qianlong's private gardens. The…
29.33 MILES
Instantly recognisable by its giant framed portrait of Mao, and guarded by two pairs of Ming dynasty stone lions, the double-eaved Gate of Heavenly Peace …
26.48 MILES
Contemporary art meets communist history at this thrilling enclave of international galleries installed within China's model factory complex of the 1950s…
27.14 MILES
Converted from a princely residence to a lamasery in the 18th century, the Lama Temple extends through a crescendo of ever more divine halls in a whirl of…
29.75 MILES
One of Beijing's more surreal spectacles is the sight of Mao Zedong's embalmed corpse on public display within his mausoleum. The Soviet-inspired memorial…
Nearby Beijing attractions
0.4 MILES
The tomb of the Taichang Emperor, one of the last emperors to be interred at the Ming Tombs. The road here actually passes through the grounds of the…
0.66 MILES
The tomb of the Hongxi Emperor (1378–1425), the second emperor to be buried at the Ming Tombs after Yongle in Chang Ling next door. Not open for visitors.
1.08 MILES
It's no coincidence that the most magnificent of the Ming tombs bears more than a passing resemblance to the Forbidden City. It was commissioned by the…
1.51 MILES
The tomb of the Xuande Emperor, who died in 1435. It's not open for visitors, but you can walk here from Chang Ling in 15 minutes, and peer in at the…
1.55 MILES
The tomb of the Zhengde Emperor, who reigned from 1506–21. It's not open for visitors.
1.6 MILES
Of all the Ming tombs, this is the only one to have been excavated, and visitors can descend into the enormous burial chambers of the Wanli Emperor (1563…