# Ming Tombs, Beijing

> The Ming Tombs are the burial valley of 13 Ming emperors, 40–50 km north of Beijing. Changling, Dingling with its underground palace, Zhaoling and the Sacred Way are open, each with its own ticket: ¥20–40 from November to March, ¥30–60 from April to October. Open daily from 8:30. Allow 3–4 hours for two tombs and the Sacred Way.

Web page: https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/ming-tombs

- City: [Beijing](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing), China
- YesGo score: 23/100 (Yes, if nearby)
- Time on site: 2 h 30 min
- Entry: ¥20–40 per site, ¥30–60 in summer
- With kids: Fine with kids
- Dingling (underground palace): ¥60 from 1 April to 31 October, ¥40 from 1 November to 31 March
- Changling: ¥45 in summer, ¥30 in winter
- Zhaoling: ¥30 in summer, ¥20 in winter
- Sacred Way: ¥30 in summer, ¥20 in winter; the Beijing government portal lists ¥20 and ¥15
- Combo ticket (all four): About ¥130 in summer, ¥100 in winter (unofficial)
- Free entry: Children 6 and under or up to 1.2 m, people over 60 and disabled visitors, with ID
- Half price: Full-time students aged over 6 and up to 25
- Booking: Not required — tickets are sold on site; online via the operator's WeChat and Douyin accounts
- Hours: 8:30–17:00 in winter, 8:30–18:00 in summer; ticket sales stop 30 minutes before closing
- Distance: About 40–50 km from central Beijing, 1.5–2 hours by public transport
- Coordinates: 40.25333, 116.21750
- Facts checked: 04.11.2026

## Key facts

- **3 tombs** — open to everyone — Changling, Dingling and Zhaoling — plus the Sacred Way (source: Beijing Municipal Government portal; Visit Beijing)
- **Dingling** — the only one of the 13 tombs with an excavated underground palace open to visitors (source: Visit Beijing; English Wikipedia)
- **13 emperors** — of the Ming dynasty are buried in the valley, starting with Yongle (source: English and Russian Wikipedia)
- **1409** — work began on Changling, the Yongle Emperor's tomb and the first in the valley (source: travelchinaguide.com; English Wikipedia)
- **18 pairs** — of stone animals and figures line the Sacred Way (source: English Wikipedia; Beijing Daily)
- **About 7 km** — the length of the Sacred Way from the Great Red Gate to Changling (source: English Wikipedia; The Beijing News (7.3 km))
- **1956** — excavation of Dingling, the Wanli Emperor's tomb, began (source: English Wikipedia; travelchinaguide.com)
- **5 halls** — make up Dingling's underground palace: front, middle, rear and two side halls (source: English Wikipedia; travelchinaguide.com)
- **3,000+** — objects were found in Dingling — silk, porcelain, jade, crowns (source: English Wikipedia; travelchinaguide.com)
- **By 2030** — Beijing plans to open all the main tombs (source: Beijing Municipal Government portal; Beijing Daily)

## 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.

> **The tombs are kilometres apart** The Ming Tombs are not one museum but a whole valley. Changling, Dingling, Zhaoling and the Sacred Way are four separate sites with separate gates, several kilometres from each other — you cannot walk between them. Plan on buses, a taxi or a hired driver, and in winter arrive before lunch: ticket sales end at 16:30.

## 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.

## How to get to the Ming Tombs from Beijing

1. From central Beijing (Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City) take the metro to the **Changping Line**, which starts at **Xitucheng** (Line 10) and **Jimenqiao** (Line 12) and runs north. Allow 1.5–2 hours each way.
2. Ride to **Ming Tombs** station (十三陵景区), the second-to-last stop. Use Exit B.
3. The station is several kilometres from the tombs. Visit Beijing suggests walking about 15 minutes to the **Jiantoucun West** stop (涧头村西) and taking bus **Chang 78** (昌78) to **Nanxincun** (南新村), the south entrance of the Sacred Way.
4. If no bus comes, call a DiDi. Guides warn of unlicensed drivers at the station quoting high fares — agree the price first or book in the app.
5. Alternative on the same line: get off at **Changping Dongguan** (昌平东关), walk about 750 m west to bus **314** and ride to **Dagongmen** (大宫门) by the Sacred Way, then on to Dingling and Changling.
6. No metro: bus **872** leaves from the **Deshengmen** arrow tower (Jishuitan station, Line 2, Exit A) and takes about an hour to the Sacred Way, Dingling and Changling. Guides disagree on first and last departures — check before you go.
7. Between the tombs, use buses 314 and 872 or a taxi: the Sacred Way to Dingling is about 10 minutes by bus.

## 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](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/badaling-great-wall) 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](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/juyongguan-great-wall) 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](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/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

|  | Dingling | Changling | Zhaoling | Sacred Way |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Highlight | Underground palace, museum | Largest hall, exhibition | Quiet complete tomb | Avenue of stone statues |
| Ticket Apr–Oct | ¥60 | ¥45 | ¥30 | ¥30 |
| Ticket Nov–Mar | ¥40 | ¥30 | ¥20 | ¥20 |
| Stairs | Many, down and up | A few | A few | None |
| Time needed | About 1 hour | About 1 hour | 40–60 min | 30–40 min |

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

## Before you go: checklist

- [ ] Picked one or two tombs plus the Sacred Way
- [ ] Leaving Beijing by 9:00 — winter ticket sales end at 16:30
- [ ] Passport with me for concessions and online booking
- [ ] Alipay or WeChat Pay with a card linked — or cash yuan
- [ ] Names saved in Chinese: 十三陵景区, 定陵, 长陵, 南新村
- [ ] Comfortable shoes — lots of stairs at Dingling
- [ ] Know how I am getting back: bus, taxi or driver

## Beijing history sites compared

Historic places in Beijing, rated by YesGo.

- [Tiananmen Square](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/tiananmen-square) — YesGo score 68/100 (Yes, go) · 45 min · Free, passport booking
- [Forbidden City](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/forbidden-city) — YesGo score 61/100 (Yes, go) · 3 h 30 min · ¥40 Nov–Mar, ¥60 Apr–Oct
- [Chairman Mao Memorial Hall](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/mao-mausoleum) — YesGo score 55/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free, booking required
- [Temple of Heaven](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/temple-of-heaven) — YesGo score 52/100 (Yes, go) · 2 h · ¥10–15, ¥28–34 with halls
- [Great Hall of the People](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/great-hall-of-the-people) — YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · ¥30, students ¥15; WeChat booking
- [Tiananmen Gate](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/tiananmen-gate) — YesGo score 49/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · ¥15, concession ¥5, booking only
- [National Museum of China](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/national-museum-of-china) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · Free, passport booking
- [Wangfujing Street](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/wangfujing-street) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free
- [Beijing hutongs](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/beijing-hutongs) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free; rickshaw about ¥100–200
- [Nanluoguxiang](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/nanluoguxiang) — YesGo score 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free, open 24 hours
- [Houhai Lake and Shichahai](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/houhai-lake) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free
- [Jingshan Park](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/jingshan-park) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · ¥2, ¥10 during exhibitions
- [Lama Temple (Yonghe Temple)](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/lama-temple) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ≈ ¥25, booked in WeChat
- [Drum and Bell Towers](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/beijing-drum-and-bell-towers) — YesGo score 34/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ¥30 for both towers
- [Old Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan)](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/old-summer-palace) — YesGo score 34/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · ¥10, ¥25 with the ruins
- [Beihai Park](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/beihai-park) — YesGo score 33/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · ¥5–10, ¥15–20 with the island
- [Confucius Temple and Imperial Academy](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/beijing-confucius-temple) — YesGo score 33/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · ¥30, one ticket with the Guozijian
- [Summer Palace](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/beijing-summer-palace) — YesGo score 33/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h 30 min · ¥20–30, ¥50–60 through ticket
- [Prince Gong's Mansion](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/prince-gong-mansion) — YesGo score 33/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · ¥40, book ahead with passport
- [798 Art Zone](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/798-art-zone) — YesGo score 32/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · Free; some exhibitions charge
- [Great Wall at Badaling](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/badaling-great-wall) — YesGo score 27/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · ¥40 entry; ¥35 November–March
- [Beijing Zoo](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/beijing-zoo) — YesGo score 26/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · ¥10–15, ¥14–19 with pandas
- [Ming Tombs](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/ming-tombs) — YesGo score 23/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · ¥20–40 per site, ¥30–60 in summer
- [Great Wall at Juyongguan](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/juyongguan-great-wall) — YesGo score 20/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · ¥35 entry; ¥40 April–October
- [Great Wall at Mutianyu](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/great-wall-mutianyu) — YesGo score 19/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · ¥40–45 entry; cable car ¥100–140
- [Gubei Water Town and Simatai Great Wall](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/gubei-water-town) — YesGo score 16/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · ¥140 entry; ¥170 with Simatai wall

## The Great Wall and the tombs in a day

Badaling in the morning, the tombs after lunch, the Olympic Park on the way back into town.

1. [Great Wall at Badaling](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/badaling-great-wall) — YesGo score 27/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · ¥40 entry; ¥35 November–March
2. [Ming Tombs](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/ming-tombs) — YesGo score 23/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · ¥20–40 per site, ¥30–60 in summer
3. [Olympic Park and Bird's Nest](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/beijing-olympic-park) — YesGo score 30/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Park free; Bird's Nest ≈ ¥50–100

## Good to know

The Ming Tombs in Beijing are not the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum in Nanjing, nor the Qing tombs. Ming Tombs metro station is named after the valley but sits several kilometres from the tombs. The wax museum near the Sacred Way is a private attraction, not part of the tombs.

## Tips

- 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

### How much are Ming Tombs tickets?

Each site is ticketed separately. April–October: Dingling ¥60, Changling ¥45, Zhaoling ¥30; November–March: ¥40, ¥30 and ¥20. The Sacred Way is ¥20–30 depending on season.

### What are the Ming Tombs opening hours?

Daily, 8:30–18:00 from 1 April to 7 October and 8:30–17:00 from 8 October to 31 March. Ticket sales end 30 minutes before closing.

### How do I get to the Ming Tombs from Beijing?

Take the Changping Line to Ming Tombs station, then bus Chang 78 to the Sacred Way — or bus 314 from Changping Dongguan, or bus 872 from Deshengmen. DiDi works too.

### Which Ming tombs are open?

Changling, Dingling and Zhaoling plus the Sacred Way are open to all. Yongling, Siling and Jingling open only by reservation with an official guide.

### Can you go inside the Dingling underground palace?

Yes. Dingling is the only excavated tomb; you go down several flights of stairs into five stone halls. It is not wheelchair accessible.

### How long do you need at the Ming Tombs?

3–4 hours for the Sacred Way and two tombs, plus 3–4 hours of travel there and back.

### Can you visit the Ming Tombs and Badaling in one day?

Yes — it is the classic pairing: the wall in the morning, the tombs after lunch. A tour or driver makes it easier.

### Are the Ming Tombs worth it?

Worth it for history fans and for Dingling's underground palace. With only two or three days in Beijing, combine it with Badaling or skip it.

### Do I need to book Ming Tombs tickets in advance?

No — tickets for the four main sites are sold on site. Only the newly opened tombs need a reservation.

## How we checked

Hours come from the operator's notice (Beijing Changping Culture and Tourism Group); the Beijing government portal lists shorter hours (8:30–16:30 and 8:30–17:30), probably last entry, so we show the operator's. Dingling, Changling and Zhaoling prices match on the government portal and Visit Beijing. The Sacred Way price differs — ¥20/15 from the government, ¥30/20 from Visit Beijing and travelchinaguide.com, ¥35/25 from one guide — so it is marked “verifying”. The combo ticket is ¥130 or ¥132 depending on the source. We could not find official timetables for buses 872 and Chang 78, and guides disagree, so we leave times out. Sources measure the depth of the underground palace differently, so we leave it out. Payment notes for China are unofficial, from travel guides.

## Sources

- Beijing Municipal Government portal: Ming Tombs tickets and concessions; Jingling opening; plan to open all tombs by 2030
- Beijing Changping Culture and Tourism Group (北京昌平文旅集团), the operator: opening hours and ticket channels, notice via Beijing Daily
- Visit Beijing: seasonal prices, open sites, metro and bus access
- The Beijing News (新京报): Sacred Way restoration, tombs by reservation
- Beijing Daily (京报网): history of the Sacred Way and tomb openings
- travelchinaguide.com: prices, Changling and Dingling, buses 314 and 872
- tour-beijing.com: buses 872 and 879, advice on choosing a tomb
- English and Russian Wikipedia: Ming tombs, Dingling (Ming), Changping line; Wikidata Q41135

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