TOMBS IS QING

If the Ming tombs are more famous, the stroll towards the tombs of the Qing is worth a visit, both for the beauty of the site and for the calm that prevails, since the place is much less frequented than the Ming. Note also that the tombs are classified as UNESCO's World Heritage Site since 2000.

History

Located 125 km east of Beijing, at Qclus Gling, at the foot of the Changrui mountains, 15 tombs are grouped in a 49 km ² perimeter. Originally, it would be geometries who would have proposed this new site to Emperor Yongzen to install his grave there. The successors of Yongzen then chose to settle either in the western necropolis (Xiling) or in the east (Dongling). Among the most illustrious, the tombs of the emperors Shunzhi (1644-1661), Kangxi (1661-1723), Qianlong (1736-1796), Xianfeng (1851-1862), Tongzfeng, will be cited. Hi (1862-1875), and that of the no less famous empowering empress Cixi. As in the Ming tombs, we find a superb path of the Spirits of five kilometers, which leads to the tomb of Shunzhi, the first founder of the dynasty. Even the succession of doors: red door, walk of stone statues with its traditional guards, then door of Dragon and Phoenix, bridge of Five Notes (seven arches marble bridge), then the door of the eminent favors leading to the tomb of Shunzhi. Even tumulus announced by a tower of the soul than in the Ming tombs, and even succession of courses along which we find flags at the service of worship. You can visit the tombs of Qianlong, Shunzhi and Cixi, which have been restored.

Visit

Tomb of Qianlong (Yuling). It is as extraordinary as the price it cost at the time: 1.8 million silver taels! In the underground palace there are three large vaulted halls separated by beautiful marble doors and decorated with beautiful Buddhist themed bas-reliefs.

Tomb of Cixi (Dingdongling). It is shared by Cixi and Ci 'an, the other wife of Emperor Xianfeng. However, if the two tombs were originally built symmetrically and in the same style, Cixi's would appear to be quite different. Indeed, wanting to stand out from Ci 'an, Cixi hired a huge sum of money (4,590 taels of gold) to improve his tomb, but died before the end of the work undertaken. The site, as well as the tombs of the 38 concubines of the emperor, like the tomb of Qianlong, was looted in 1928 by the lord of the Suntianying War.

Tomb of Zhaoling. Zhaoling, the tomb of the 9 th ^{Emperor of Ming, buried in 1572, was opened to the public in 1989. If you have an individual car, it may be nice to take a walk in this valley. Only a handful of temples are open to tourists, others are more or less left behind by the vegetation, and, if you cannot, of course, enter it, the atmosphere of the places is much more impressive than that of the sites covered with tourist shops.}