Eastern Qing Tombs Overview & Map Weather Transportation Information
In Zunhua City (population 690,000), Hebei Province, some 125 kilometers east Beijing, lays a group of imperial tombs of the Qing Dynasty. It is known as the Eastern Tombs because there is another group, the Western Tombs, located in Yixian County, southwest Beijing. The tombs of five emperors, four empresses, five imperial concubines, and one princess are arrayed based on the traditional concept of placing the most senior and most distinguished in the center.
Who buried here
The emperors who were buried here are Shun Zhi (in Xiaoling), Kang Xi (Jingling), Qian Long (Yuling), Xian Feng (Dingling) and Tong Zhi (Huiling). Altogether 5 emperors, 15 empresses and 136 imperial concubines, princes and princesses were buried here, including the notorious Empress Dowager Cixi. Now the underground palaces of the tombs of Emperor Qian Long and Empress Dowager Cixi are opened to the public.
Xiaoling
The Eastern Tombs were first in 1663, following the model of the Ming tombs. Xiaoling, the tomb of the first Qing Emperor is the most elaborate of all.
A huge archway stands before the Big Red Gate. Inside the gate is the Stele Pavilion with a stele inscribed with an account in Manchu and Chinese of the accomplishments of Emperor Shun Zhi. A 12-meter-wide "way of the spirit," paved with bricks and lined by 18 sets of stone statues of lions, elephants, horses, camels, and unicorns, as well as army generals and court advisers, leads from the archway to the tomb of Emperor Shun Zhi.
There are ways that branch off to the right and left, leading to the other tombs, which are different in size and elaborateness.
Yuling
To the west of Xiaoling is Yuling, the tomb of Emperor of Qian Long. His reign lasted for 60 years and his tomb is among the most splendid ones with a floor space 327 square meters.
The underground palace of his tomb is composed of three chambers with four stone gates, in the shape of Chinese character "zhu" meaning "ruler". It is famous for its fine marble carvings on the walls and ceilings. Most notable are the eight bodhisattvas, four devarajas, small Buddhas and Buddhist sutras carved in Sanskrit and Tibetan languages.
Dingdongling
The tomb of Empress Dowager Cixi, Dingdongling, is the most magnificent. Empress Dowager Cixi spent a fabulous amount of money to build a mausoleum for herself long before her death. Its total cost came up to 72 tons of silver.
The carving on the ramp leading up to the Hall of Eminent Favor shows a dragon and phoenix playing with pearl, but in a reversed pattern: the phoenix above the dragon. The marble balustrade is carved with dragons and phoenixes amidst cloud and waves.
The columns in the main hall are decorated with coiling dragons in gold leaf; the inner walls of the side halls are covered with designs of bats (symbolizing good luck) and Chinese character "longevity."
Why the tomb mound is bare
The peculiar interest is that Empress Dowager Cixi's tomb mound is bare. It is because that before she passed away she ordered that her tomb mound must be bare. Therefore the earth piling up her tomb was roasted.
Firstly, water could not sink into the tomb for the purpose of protecting it. Secondly, had grass and trees grown on her tomb mound, visitors would have had the chance to sit on it. Empress Dowager Cixi did not want people to sit on her tomb mound.
What happened to Dingdongling
A warlord named Sun Dianying (1889 - 1941) in July 1928 looted the tomb of the Empress Dowager. He closed the tomb grounds under the pretext of using it for military maneuvers and, with the help of his troops, opened the tomb of Cixi and stole the treasures.
When to visit
Opening Hours: 8:40a.m. - 5:30p.m.
1
2
3
4
5
Ming Tombs
Confucius Cemetery
Huangdi Tomb
Ming Xiaoling Tomb
Western Qing Tomb
Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Tomb
Genghis Khan's Tomb
Tomb of Qin Shihuang
Tomb of Princess Yongtai
Han Yang Ling Museum
Qianling Tomb
Hairui Tomb
Zhaojun Tomb
Astana Tombs
Tomb of Abakh Khoja
Amannishahan Tomb
