The Ming Tombs are located on the southern hill of Tianshou Mountain (about 50 km northwest of Beijing). The place was chosen by the third Ming Dynasty emperor, Yongle (1402–1424), who moved the national capital from Nanjing to Beijing, the current capital of China. After the construction of the Imperial Palace (the Forbidden City) in 1420, the Yongle Emperor selected his own burial site and created his own mausoleum.Buried in this place are 13 emperors of the Ming Dynasty. The entire mausoleum covers over 40 square kilometers, with the Chaozong River winding around it. In August 2003, The Ming Tombs were listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. [China.org.cn/Photo by Jing Bo]

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