Ming Tombs, Beijing

Ming Tombs tickets and prices

There is no single gate: you pay at each site. From 1 April to 31 October, Dingling costs ¥60, Changling ¥45 and Zhaoling ¥30; from 1 November to 31 March it is ¥40, ¥30 and ¥20. The Sacred Way is unofficially ¥30 in summer and ¥20 in winter, though the Beijing government portal lists ¥20 and ¥15. Guides also mention a combo ticket for all four, about ¥130 in summer.

Entry is free for children 6 and under or up to 1.2 m, people over 60 and disabled visitors with ID; full-time students aged over 6 and up to 25 pay half. The official page does not say whether foreign seniors qualify on a passport — ask at the ticket office.

No booking is needed: tickets are sold on site. Most payments in China go through Alipay or WeChat Pay, both of which accept a linked foreign Visa or Mastercard; carry some cash yuan in small notes as a backup — vendors must accept it.

Ming Tombs opening hours

All four sites are open every day. From 1 April to 7 October they run 8:30–18:00, from 8 October to 31 March 8:30–17:00. Ticket sales and entry stop 30 minutes before closing. The Beijing government portal gives slightly shorter hours, so do not cut it fine.

Weekday mornings are calmest. At weekends and on Chinese public holidays there is a queue for the stairs into Dingling's underground palace.

Dingling or Changling: which tomb to visit?

If you have time for one, choose by what you want. Dingling, the Wanli Emperor's tomb, is the only one where you go underground: down long flights of stairs into five stone vaulted halls with marble thrones and replica coffins. It is the most unusual thing in the valley, but the halls are fairly bare — the treasures are in the museum above.

Changling, the Yongle Emperor's tomb, is about scale. It is the largest and best-preserved complex, crowned by the vast timber Ling'en Hall on a three-tier marble terrace, now an exhibition of finds from Dingling. There are no stairs underground, so it suits older visitors and families with buggies; Dingling's underground palace is not wheelchair accessible.

The best half-day: the Sacred Way first, then Dingling and Changling. Add quiet Zhaoling only if you still have energy.

What to see at the Ming Tombs

• The Sacred Way (Shenlu) — an avenue of stone elephants, camels, lions, qilin, generals and officials, 18 pairs in all. The open stretch is around a kilometre; walk it south to north. In 2026 the whole road is being restored, so parts may be screened off.
• The stele pavilion near the start of the Sacred Way, with a tablet on a giant stone tortoise (bixi).
• Dingling's underground palace and the museum of finds beside it.
• Changling's Ling'en Hall — one of the largest surviving wooden halls in China. The Yongle Emperor's burial chamber has never been opened.
• Zhaoling, the Longqing Emperor's tomb — smaller and quieter, a full tomb layout without the crowds.

Ming Tombs and Badaling in one day

The tombs and Badaling both lie north-west of Beijing, so most day tours pair them: the wall in the morning, the tombs after lunch. In winter Badaling stops selling tickets at 16:00 and the tombs at 16:30, so the day is tight — start early and pick one or two tombs.

Independently, bus 879 is reported to link Badaling and Dingling in about 1.5 hours (unofficial). A driver for the day or a guided tour is simpler, and you can add the Juyongguan fortress on the way.

Are the Ming Tombs worth visiting?

Yes, if you care about Chinese history: this is where the Ming emperors who built the Forbidden City were buried, and Dingling is your only chance to walk through a real imperial underground palace. The Sacred Way is lovely in any season, especially in autumn.

Skip a separate trip if you only have two or three days in Beijing. It takes up to two hours each way, and the sights are quieter than the Great Wall or the Summer Palace. Bolting the tombs onto a Badaling tour is the better deal.

Other tombs opening by reservation

The valley is slowly opening up. Yongling and Siling began taking pre-booked visitors in December 2024 and Jingling in December 2025. Visits are only with a guide assigned by the scenic area, booked through the 明十三陵景区 Douyin account or the 昌平文旅集团 WeChat mini-program — both in Chinese only.

Beijing plans to open all the main tombs by 2030. If you want one of the newly opened tombs, ask your guide or hotel to book: without a Chinese phone number it is hard.

Dingling vs Changling vs Zhaoling vs the Sacred Way

Tomb prices from the Beijing government portal and Visit Beijing; the Sacred Way price and visit times are unofficial, from guides.

Beijing history sites compared

Historic places in Beijing, rated by YesGo. Tap a column heading to sort.

How to do it right

• Start with the Sacred Way — it is nearest the city; Dingling and Changling lie further up the valley.
• If stairs are hard for you, choose Changling over Dingling.
• Avoid weekends and Chinese holidays, when there is a queue to go down into Dingling.
• Bring water and snacks — food stalls by the gates are few and pricey.
• Save stop names in Chinese characters — drivers in the valley rarely speak English.

Questions