When is the best time to visit the Ming Tombs?

The best time for the Ming Tombs: Spring and autumn in Beijing are neither too hot nor too cold, and the climate is moderate. This is an ideal tourist season, especially in autumn, when the weather is crisp and the climate is pleasant. It is praised as "Golden Beijing" by Chinese and foreign tourists. The best tourist months in a year are April, May, September, 65438+ 10.

Beijing is located on the northern edge of North China Plain, surrounded by mountains and seas. It belongs to a typical warm temperate semi-humid continental monsoon climate with four distinct seasons. Spring flowers, autumn moon, summer rain and winter snow have their own characteristics. The annual average temperature is 1 1.8℃, the coldest is 1.6℃, the hottest is July, and the monthly average is 26. 1℃. Beijing has shorter spring and autumn seasons and longer winter, with an average annual precipitation of 644 mm and a frost-free period of 180 days. Although the winter in Beijing is very long, the indoor heating equipment is very good and warm as spring. Because of the great temperature difference between indoor and outdoor, you should take sweaters and cotton-padded clothes when you travel to Beijing in winter.

Newspapers, radio stations and TV stations in Beijing all have weather forecast columns and explanations, so please pay attention. You can also dial 337, which provides the weather forecast for the same day and the next day in Chinese and English.

But most of Beijing's tourism projects are cultural relics, scenic buildings and folk customs. These projects are not affected by the climate, and you can go to Beijing all year round. Travel agencies and restaurants in Beijing have off-season prices in winter, which can save a lot.

Located at the foot of Tianshou Mountain in Changping District, Beijing, the Ming Tombs are surrounded by mountains in the east, west and north. They are relatively well-preserved tombs with the largest number of emperors buried in the world.

The mausoleum covers an area of about 120 square kilometers. In the mountain, all tombs are built by mountains and water, and the layout is solemn and harmonious. The mausoleum of Judy, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, was built in the seventh year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty (A.D. 1409). It is the first mausoleum in the mausoleum area, located in front of the main peak of Tianshou Mountain.

Since then, there have been 1 1 tombs built in the Ming Dynasty, such as Renzong Xianling, Xuanzong Jingling, Yingzong Yuling, Xianzong Maoling, Xiaozong Tailing, Wuzong Kangling, Sejong Yongling, Mu Zong Zhaoling, Zongshen Dingling, Xianzong Qingling and Mu Zong Deling, which are located at the foot of the mountain on both sides of Changling.

The seven-kilometer-long Changling Shinto (total Shinto) in the middle of the mausoleum area is connected with the mausoleum.

The Siling Mausoleum of Zhu Youjian, Emperor Chongzhen of the Ming Dynasty, is the last mausoleum, located in the southwest corner of the mausoleum area. It was changed to the Princess Tomb, and in the first year of Shunzhi in Qing Dynasty (A.D. 1644), the tomb was named, and the above-ground buildings were added.

In addition, there are seven Ming imperial tombs and 1 eunuch tombs in the mausoleum area, and ancillary buildings such as palaces and gardens have been built, and 10 Guancheng has been built around it.

Surrounded by green hills and beautiful scenery, there are 13 Ming Tombs scattered in a small basin of about 40 square kilometers in Fiona Fang, which was later called the Ming Tombs. Now it has become a world-famous tourist attraction. Because this mausoleum is too large, ordinary tourists mainly visit two of them, one is the Changling mausoleum with the most magnificent architectural specifications, and the other is the Dingling mausoleum excavated from the underground palace. Every imperial tomb has an underground palace, but only Dingling has been excavated. When visitors enter the cemetery, they will first be interested in the 18 pairs of stone heads arranged on both sides of the road. These huge stone statues and beasts are precious ancient art, beautifully carved and vividly shaped. They mean that the emperor will dominate everything as before after his death. These huge stone carvings, some of which are more than 30 cubic meters in volume, were transported here by pouring water into ice on the road and then putting the statues on the ice track.

The Great Changling Mausoleum is the tomb of Judy, the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty. The main building is the Lingen Hall, which is as big as the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City, with a total area of 1956 square meters. It is more prominent than the Hall of Supreme Harmony in that its columns, beams, purlins, rafters and eaves are all made of nanmu, and the 32 giant columns in the hall are all made of a whole golden nanmu. It is said that it took five or six years to transport these huge nanmu from the place of origin to the cemetery. Such a heavy nanmu, such a magnificent nanmu building, is unique in the whole country, so this hall is particularly precious. Judy was emperor for 22 years. In the sixth year of his reign, he began to build a mausoleum, which took five years.

The magnificent underground mausoleum is Ming Shenzong's mausoleum. Ming Shenzong reigned for 48 years and was the longest-serving emperor in the Ming Dynasty. His mausoleum was built for six years. According to records, * * * spent more than 8 million taels of silver, which was equivalent to two years' income from national land tax at that time. Dingling is not as big as Changling, but the architecture is more exquisite. Most of the ground buildings in Dingling no longer exist, but the Ming-style buildings are still intact. Because Ming buildings are all made of stone, there is no wood, so they are not only strong, but also fire-proof. The architecture of the Ming building also reflected the superb design and construction level at that time. From the excavated underground palace, we can see the architectural level of Dingling. The magnificent Dingling underground palace is 27 meters from the ground, with a total area of 1 195 square meters. The five large and spacious halls are all stone structures with arched roofs and no beams or columns. The Houdian is 9.5m high, 30. 1 m long and 9. 1 m wide, making it the largest mourning hall in China. More than 3,000 funerary objects have been unearthed here, including golden crowns, golden pots, Jin Jue, rockhopper and other extremely precious cultural relics. The golden crown is made of gold wire, and there are a pair of golden dragons on the crown plate. The rockhopper is inlaid with more than 100 gems and more than 5000 pearls. Visitors can see these treasures in Dingling Museum.

Zhaoling, the ninth of the Ming Tombs, is the tomb of the 12th emperor of Ming Dynasty and his three empresses. The architecture of Zhaoling has its own uniqueness. It is the most complete and representative mausoleum building in the Ming Tombs.

Three characteristics of the Ming Tombs

Comparing the tombs of emperors in China, the Ming Tombs have three obvious features.

First, the integrity of the buildings in the mausoleum area is particularly prominent. The setting of ancient imperial tombs in China appeared as early as the mid-Warring States period with the construction of tombs. Its guiding ideology originated from the ancient "cemetery" system in China, and burial was carried out according to the rank of nobility and patriarchal clan system. Different tombs in different times have different areas and architectural settings, leaving a back road for tombs in other times, without adding praise or criticism, only saying differences.

In the Tang Dynasty and the Northern Song Dynasty, each cemetery had its own gate que, Shinto and stone carving groups, all of which were self-contained. Although it forms a whole in geographical position, it does not pay attention to unity and overall connection in the setting of buildings.

The Ming Tombs are different. Although each mausoleum has its own hall, architecture and treasure city, it is an independent unit. However, in the mausoleum area, the Shinto of Changling appeared as the "total Shinto" used by the tombs. * * The stone archways and stone carvings used, together with the orderly arrangement and burial methods of the tombs, make the buildings in the mausoleum area closely connected and the tombs form a whole.

Second, the mausoleum building system is unique. From the Qin and Han Dynasties to the Tang and Song Dynasties, the above-ground mausoleum building in ancient China was centered on a bucket-shaped mausoleum platform (tomb), with a sleeping hall in front, doors on all sides and a square wall of Shinto in front, forming a generally balanced and symmetrical square mausoleum system. It was not until Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang of the Ming Dynasty built the Xiaoling Mausoleum that the ancient system was changed, and the innovation was the front (square courtyard) and the back circle (Yuanbao City). Baoding, Minglou and Xiangdian are arranged longitudinally along the central axis, which is a brand-new cemetery layout. Shinto in front of the tomb takes the shape of a winding road, with many twists and turns.

The layout of tombs in the Ming Tombs basically inherited the Xiaoling system, but it changed slightly. For example, the setting of the sacred monument of the Ming Tombs' Tailing Ming Building highlights the marking function of the building, and the setting of Fenxing and Baocheng Horse Roads is more convenient for tomb inspection than Xiaoling Mausoleum. The setting of memorial cases of stone tablets in front of Fangcheng and Fenxing has increased the commemorative atmosphere of the mausoleum and added decoration to the empty front yard of Fangcheng.

On the deep and tortuous Shinto of Ming Changling, there are tomb facilities such as Zhao Yumen (Dahongmen), Shengde Monument Pavilion, Stone Statue Student and Longfeng Gate, which originated from the Xiaoling system. The setting of Zhao Yuqian's stone archway, the replacement of stone statues by Shi Wangzhu before his death, and the addition of heroic portraits by stone students are all new creations. The shape of the Ming Tombs is also very distinctive. It is not only different from the wooden coffin room system in Qin and Han dynasties, but also different from the practice of chiseling mountains as caves in Tang dynasty. It is a real palace-style building with glazed components buried deep underground.

Third, the natural environment is elegant and spectacular. The location of ancient imperial tombs in China was mostly influenced by geomantic omen. The selection method of royal tombs was popular in Jiangxi in the Ming Dynasty, that is, taking Feng Shui as the trend and paying attention to the collocation relationship of dragons, caves, sand and water. Tianshou Mountain, where the Ming Tombs were located, was chosen by Liao, a famous Feng Shui master in Jiangxi during Yongle period. Therefore, the natural environment of the Ming Tombs is surrounded by green hills on all sides, with an open hall in the middle and water winding through it. All the tombs are set by mountains and water. Compared with the mausoleum built on the plain, the natural landscape of this mausoleum site is more pleasing to the eye and rich in colors, which can better show the solemnity and grandeur of the imperial mausoleum.

The main buildings of the mausoleum are still well preserved.

The environment of the Ming Tombs consists of mountains, rivers, trees, vegetation and many other elements. Relevant management agencies have registered and filed the ancient and famous trees in the mausoleum area and kept them in their original state. The water system of the mausoleum area, except the southeast of the mausoleum area, will not affect the safety of the mausoleum area.

The Changling Temple in the Ming Tombs is the main building in the ground building of Changling Palace. It is located on the Sumitomo platform surrounded by three layers of white marble railings, and it is one of the few well-preserved large Nanmu Temple in China.

There are 60 nanmu columns in the Changling Hall of the Ming Tombs. Such a magnificent nanmu building is rare in the world.

The King Kong Wall leading to the Dingling Underground Palace of the Ming Tombs.

In order to preserve the unique landscape of the Ming Tombs, Beijing has spent 654.38+0.7 billion yuan to demolish and repair the tombs on a large scale. Among them, 80,000 square meters of houses and buildings within 50 meters around the Ming Tombs were demolished; In order to ensure the same color, visible buildings within 30 meters on both sides of the expressway will be painted gray; Dismantle the newsstands in the open scenic area and add Chinese and English signs; Bury the wires around the mausoleum.

According to Nie Youyi, deputy director of the office of the Ming Tombs Special Zone, the emergency repair project of Deling with an investment of 38 million yuan has come to an end, and the maintenance work of Kangling and Qingling has been started one after another this year. It is estimated that before 2008, it will cost 400 million yuan to complete the restoration of seven damaged tombs.

The underground of the Treasure City of the Ming Tombs is a mysterious palace building where the owner of the tomb is buried. Except for the reconstruction of the Four Mausoleums, all the treasure cities of the Ming Tombs remain intact. Ming architecture, only Siling Temple, no longer exists (it was destroyed before the founding of the People's Republic of China). 1986 When Zhaoling Ming Building was repaired, it was restored according to the original system of Ming Dynasty. The rest of the Ming Tombs have been preserved to this day.

Among the tombs, only Dingling was excavated in 1956. Except for the necessary protective net cover, protective rubber skin laid on the ground and the unearthed cultural relics properly kept in the warehouse, other tombs have maintained their original authenticity and integrity. Before the original system of Lingbao City, there were buildings such as _ En Gate, _ En Hall, left and right affiliated halls, Shenbo Furnace, Xingxingmen, Shiwugong and sacrificial pavilions, Shenchu and Shenku.

Now _ Endian, _ Enmen and Shenbo Furnace are well preserved in Changling, and 1986 was rebuilt in Zhaoling _ Enmen and _ Endian. Before the founding of the People's Republic of China, some of them collapsed, and some of them kept architectural sites, which have not been changed so far. Except that Zhaoling was rebuilt in 1990 according to the original system, the sacrificial pavilion, kitchen and warehouse of the tomb remained intact.

Shinto is set in front of each tomb. The main buildings set up by Shintoism in Changling are well-preserved, such as stone archway, Dahongmen, Shen Gong Shengde Monument Pavilion, stone statue students, Dragon and Phoenix Gate and so on. Among them, Shen Gong Shengde Monument Pavilion, Dahongmen and Longfeng Gate were renovated after the founding of the People's Republic of China. The rest Shinto and Shengde Stone Pavilion were demolished in Qing Dynasty, and there are stone tablets and some stone bridges. In the Ming Dynasty, a large number of pines and cypresses were planted inside and outside the Mausoleum and on both sides of Shinto, and now the pines and cypresses in the Mausoleum are flourishing. There are more pines and cypresses on both sides of Shinto than in Qing Dynasty. In addition to mausoleums and palaces, there were ancillary buildings in the Ming Dynasty, such as Jingu Prison, Temple Sacrifice Hall and Fangchao. Among these buildings, Jingu Prison has become a natural village in the Qing Dynasty, but the fence and gatehouse still exist, and the temple sacrifice place and Fangchao were destroyed in the Qing Dynasty, and no remains were preserved. The tombs of concubines and eunuchs in the mausoleum area were successively reclaimed as farmland in the late Qing Dynasty, and their buildings preserved underground tombs, while the above-ground mausoleum buildings preserved rubble and some stone carvings. The walls of palaces, Jiulongchi and Yamaguchi were destroyed in the Qing Dynasty, and some remnants were preserved.

Generally speaking, the Ming Tombs experienced three different historical periods: the middle and late Qing Dynasty, the Republic of China and People's Republic of China (PRC). Although it has been destroyed by natural factors such as wind and rain, lightning and hail for hundreds of years, the main building of the tomb is still well preserved, the cemetery pattern is clear and complete, and the underground tombs are well preserved. Ancient buildings and sites have not been disturbed and changed by future generations, and the natural environment has not been destroyed, which has a high degree of authenticity and integrity.

The remains of Dujun Mountain around the Ming Tombs form a surrounding natural barrier in the east, west and north of the Mausoleum. The three main peaks of Tianshou Mountain in the north are juxtaposed, and the middle peak is more than 760 meters above sea level, which is the highest peak in the mausoleum. Surrounded by mountains, it is a small basin formed by flood alluvial. After the water in the ravine meets in the middle of the plain, it winds eastward. Around Longshan and Hushan in the south of the mausoleum area, the tiger lives in the dragon plate and guards the portal. Standing on the plain and looking north, the mountains are towering and mountainous; Climbing south, the river rolls over and flows endlessly. Such a magnificent geographical environment is an auspicious place for emperors' tombs, and it is highly praised by China's ancient geomantic theory.

The natural environment of the Ming Tombs is elegant, the scale of the mausoleum building is grand, the system is complete, the integrity is outstanding, and the mausoleum system is unique. They are masterpieces of China's architectural art, and the highest representative of the planning and construction of mausoleums in the more than 200-year history of the Ming Dynasty. Its historical remains, on the other hand, record the rise and fall of the Ming Dynasty and the development of its culture, art and technology.

All the mausoleums are centered on Shang Ling, and Lu Shen leads directly to Changling from Lingmen at the southern end. On the 7-kilometer-long main road, there are stone archway, Daguanmen, Monument Pavilion, Huabiao, Stone Statue Student, Dragon and Phoenix Gate and other buildings. These are not only symbols of imperial power, but also used to create the atmosphere of the mausoleum.

The tombs of the Ming Tombs are very large, and ordinary tourists mainly visit two of them, one is the Changling Mausoleum with the most magnificent architectural specifications, and the other is the Dingling Mausoleum excavated in the underground palace.