Reproduced with permission from China 11th Edition © Lonely Planet 2009” www.LonelyPlanet.com

MING TOMBS 十三陵

The Ming Tombs (Shísān Líng; admission per tomb; 8am-5pm), about 50km northwest of Běijīng, are the   final resting place of 13 of the 16 Ming emperors. The Confucian layout and design may intoxicate some, but others find the necropolis unsurprisingly lifeless – don’t expect any of the vibrancy of Buddhist or Taoist temples.

The Ming Tombs follow the standard plan for imperial tomb design, typically consisting of a líng mén (main gate) leading to the first of a series of courtyards and the main hall, the Hall of Eminent Favours (灵恩殿; Líng’ēn Diàn).

Beyond lie further gates or archways, leading to the Soul Tower (明楼; Míng Lóu), behind which rises the burial mound. Three tombs (open 8am to 5pm) have been opened up to the public: Cháng Líng, Dìng Líng and Zhāo Líng.

Cháng Líng (长陵; admission Y45), burial place of the emperor Yongle, is the most impressive, with its series of magnificent halls lying beyond its yellow-tiled gate. Seated upon a three-tiered marble terrace, the most notable structure is the Hall of Eminent Favours, containing a recent statue of Yongle and a breathtaking interior with vast nanmu (cedarwood) columns. The pine-covered burial mound at the rear of the complex is yet to be excavated and is not open to the public.

Dìng Líng (定陵; admission incl museum Y60), the burial place of the emperor Wanli, contains a series of subterranean interlocking vaults and the remains of the various gates and halls of the complex.   Excavated in the late 1950s, this tomb is of more interest to some visitors as you are allowed to descend into the underground vault. Accessing the vault down the steps, visitors are confronted by the simply vast marble self-locking doors that sealed the chamber after it was vacated. The tomb is also the site of the absorbing Ming Tombs Museum (Shísān Líng Bówùguǎn; admission Y20).

Zhāo Líng (昭陵; admission Y30), the resting place of the 13th Ming emperor Longqing, follows an orthodox layout and is a tranquil alternative if you find the other tombs too busy.

The road leading up to the tombs is the 7km Spirit Way (神道; Shéndào; admission Y20; 7am-8pm).  Commencing with a triumphal arch, the path enters the Great Palace Gate, where officials once had to dismount, and passes a giant bìxì, which bears the largest stele in China. A magnificent guard of 12 sets of stone animals and officials ensues.

Tour buses usually combine visits to one of the Ming Tombs with trips to the Great Wall at Bādálǐng; about buses to and from Bādálǐng.

To go independently, take bus 345 (branch line, 支线; zhīxiàn) from Deshengmen, 500m east of Jishuitan subway station, to Chāngpíng (昌平; Y6, one hour).  Get off at the Chāngpíng Dōngguān stop and change to bus 314 for the tombs. Alternatively, take the standard bus 345 to Chāngpíng and then take a taxi (Y20, 10 minutes) to the tombs.

EASTERN QING TOMBS 清东陵

The area of the Eastern Qing Tombs (Qīng Dōng Líng; admission Y55; 8am-5pm), 125km northeast of Běijīng, could be called Death Valley, housing as it does five emperors, 14 empresses and 136 imperial consorts. In the mountains ringing the valley are buried princes, dukes, imperial nurses and others.

A spirit way is a principle feature here, as at the Ming tombs. The emperors buried here are: Qianlong (裕陵; Yù Líng), Kangxi (景 陵; Jǐng Líng), Shunzhi (孝陵; Xiào Líng), Xianfeng (定陵; Dìng Líng) and Tongzhi (惠陵; Huì Líng). Emperor Qianlong (1711–99) started preparations when he was 30, and by the time he was 88 he had used up 90 tonnes of his silver. His resting place covers half a square kilometre. Some of the beamless stone chambers are decorated with Tibetan and Sanskrit sutras, and the doors bear bas-relief Bodhisattvas – unusual for imperial tombs. All the emperors’ tombs are open to visitors apart from Huì Líng.

Empress Dowager Cixi also got a head start. Her tomb, Dìng Dōng Líng (定东陵), was completed some three decades before her death and also underwent considerable restoration before she was finally laid to rest.  It lies alongside the tomb of Empress Cian.  The phoenix (symbol of the empress) appears above that of the dragon (the emperor’s symbol) in the artwork at the front of Cixi’s tomb – not side by side as on other tombs. Cixi’s and Qianlong’s tombs were plundered in the 1920s.

The easiest way to reach the Eastern Qing Tombs is on the weekend Line E tour bus (Y145; price includes entrance ticket), which runs on Saturdays and public holidays between 6.30am and 8.30am from the Beijing Sightseeing Bus Centre (Běijīng Lǚyóu Jísàn Zhōngxīn; 8353 1111), northeast and northwest of Qianmen alongside Tiananmen Sq and also from outside the South Cathedral at Xuanwumen. Pedicabs are available at the tombs (Y15). A taxi from Běijīng should cost around Y350 for the day trip to the tombs.

TANZHE TEMPLE 潭柘寺

Forty-five kilometres west of Běijīng, Tanzhe Temple (Tánzhè Sì; admission Y35; 8.30am-6pm) is the largest of all of Běijīng’s temples.  Delightfully climbing the hills amid trees, the temple has a history that extends way back to the 3rd century, although most of what you see is of far more recent construction.

The temple grounds are overhung with towering cypress and pine trees; many are so old that their gangly limbs are supported by metal props.

The highlight of a trip to the temple is the small Talin Temple (Tǎlín Sì), by the forecourt where you disembark the bus, with its collection of stupas (reliquaries for the cremated remains of important monks) reminiscent of the Shaolin Temple. You can tour them while waiting for the return bus.  An excellent time to visit Tanzhe Temple is around mid-April, when the magnolias are in bloom.

Take the subway to the Pingguoyuan stop and take bus 931 (Y3) to the last stop for Tanzhe Temple (don’t take the bus 931 branch line – 支线, zhīxiàn – however).

JIETAI TEMPLE 戒台寺

About 10km southeast of Tanzhe Temple is this smaller, but more engaging temple (Jiètái Sì; admission Y35; h8am-6pm).  Jietai (Ordination Terrace) Temple was built around AD 622 during the Tang dynasty, with major modifications made during the Ming dynasty.

The main complex is dotted with ancient pine trees; the Nine Dragon Pine is claimed to be over 1300 years old, while the Embracing Pagoda Pine does just what it says.

To get to the temple, take the subway to the Pingguoyuan stop and take bus 931 (Y3).  This bus stops near Jietai Temple, which is a 10-minute walk uphill from the bus stop.

MARCO POLO BRIDGE 卢沟桥

Described by the great traveller himself, this 266m-long grey marble bridge (Lúgōu Qiáo; off 8389 3919; 88 Lugouqiaochengnei Xijie; admission Y15; 8am-5pm) is host to 485 carved stone lions. Each animal is  different, with the smallest only a few centimetres high, and legend maintains that they move around during the night.

Dating from 1189, the stone bridge is Běijīng’s oldest (but is a composite of different eras; it was widened in 1969), and spans the Yongding River (永定河) near the small walled town of Wǎnpíng (宛平城), just southwest of Běijīng.

Despite the praises of Marco Polo and Emperor Qianlong, the bridge wouldn’t have rated more than a footnote in Chinese history were it not for the famed Marco Polo Bridge Incident, which ignited a full-scale war with Japan. On 7 July 1937, Japanese troops illegally occupied a railway junction outside  Wǎnpíng.   Japanese and Chinese soldiers started shooting, and that gave Japan enough of an excuse to attack and occupy Běijīng.

The Memorial Hall of the War of Resistance Against Japan is a gory look back at Japan’s occupation of China, but the lack of English captions renders much of its information meaningless. Also on the site are the Wanping Castle, Daiwang Temple and a hotel.

Take bus 6 from the north gate of Temple of Heaven Park to the last stop at Liuli Bridge (六里桥; Liùlǐ Qiáo) and then either bus 339 or 309 to Lúgōu Xīnqiáo (卢沟新桥); the bridge is just ahead.

CHUĀNDǏXIÀ 川底下

Nestled in a windswept valley 90km west of Běijīng and overlooked by towering peaks is Chuāndǐxià (admission Y20), a gorgeous cluster of historic courtyard homes and oldworld charm. The backdrop is lovely: terraced orchards and fields, with ancient houses and alleyways rising up the hillside.

Chuāndǐxià is also a museum of Maoist graffiti and slogans, especially up the incline among the better-preserved houses. Despite their impressive revolutionary credentials, Chuāndǐxià’s friendly residents long ago sensed the unmistakable whiff of the tourist dollar on the north China breeze and many have flung open their doors to overnighting visitors. The lovely-looking Bǎishùn Kèzhàn (百顺客栈) behind the spirit wall at No 43 Chunadixiacun at the foot of the village is a magnificent old courtyard residence.

To the east of the village is the small Qingdynasty Guandi Temple, making for a delightful walk above the village. For excellent bird’s-eye photos climb the hill south of Chuāndǐxià in the direction of the Niangniang Temple. Two hours is more than enough to wander around the village as it’s not big.

If taking a taxi, consider paying an extra Y20 or so for your driver to take you back via the nearby village of Língshuǐ Cūn (灵水村), another historic village dating to the Tang dynasty.

A bus (Y10, two hours) leaves for Chuāndǐxià from Pingguoyuan subway station every day at 7.30am and 12.30pm, returning at 10.30am and 3.30pm. If you take the later bus, you may either need to spend the night or find alternative transport. The other option is to take bus 929 (make sure it’s the branch line, or zhīxiàn 支线, not the regular bus) from the bus stop 200m to the west of Pingguoyuan subway station to Zhāitáng (斋堂; Y8, two hours), then hire a taxi van (Y20). The last bus returns from Zhāitáng to Pingguoyuan at 4.20pm. If you miss the last bus, a taxi will cost around Y80 to Pingguoyuan. Taxi drivers waiting at Pingguoyuan subway station will charge around Y140 to Y150 for a round trip.