The museum consists of Dingling Mausoleum, Changling Mausoleum, Zhaoling Mausoleum and the Devine Road. Dingling is the grave of Zhu Yijun and his two empresses.

Five spacious stone halls constitute the grave chamber. Exquisitely carved stone gates were installed in the front, middle and back halls. Inside the chamber, there are many funerary objects and other cultural relics on display. Changling is Zhu Di and his empress's grave, also the earliest, largest and best preserved one among the thirteen tombs.

The major part of the grave is the Chamber of Divine Favor constructed with precious wood called nanmu. Inside the chamber, delicate and invaluable jade, gold and silver articles, crowns and costumes for emperors and empresses account for 130 pieces.

Zhaoling is the grave of Zhu Zaigou and his empress. Currently the Sacrifice Hall, the east and west rear palaces, and the Chamber of Divine Favor are opened for basic displays. The Divine Road is the main passage to the tombs, composed of the marble archway, the red gate, tablets, statues and gates carved with dragons and phoenixes.

North to the tablet pavilion are 36 stone statues carved with only one stone. It is a stone carving art museum in real sense.

Further Information:

Address: The Ming Tombs in Changping District, Bejing

Bus Route: Take Bus No.345 (branch) at Deshengmen to Changping,and then transfer to Bus No. 314 or Bus No.22 at Lishuiqiao to the destination.

Opening Hours: April-October 8:00-17:30

November-Next March 8:00-17:00 (The Devine Road Museum 16:00)

Admission: 20 Yuan from November to next March, 30 Yuan from April to October; the seniors over 60, the disabled, the students (postgraduates and student accepting adult education are excluded)are charged half of the price；the admission is free for active army men and the retired people with their proofs.

Tel: 8610-60761423

(China.org.cn August 25, 2005)