Eastern Qing tombs

The Eastern Qing tombs (Chinese: 清東陵; pinyin: Qīng Dōng líng; Manchu: ᡩᡝᡵᡤᡳ ᡝᡵᡤᡳ ᠮᡠᠩᡤᠠᠨ, Möllendorff: dergi ergi munggan) are an imperial mausoleum complex of the Qing dynasty located in Zunhua, 125 kilometres (78 mi) northeast of Beijing.

[1] Altogether, five emperors (Shunzhi, Kangxi, Qianlong, Xianfeng, and Tongzhi), 15 empresses, 136 imperial concubines, three princes, and two princesses of the Qing dynasty are buried here.

All imperial mausolea at the Eastern Qing tombs follow a pattern established by the Xiaoling mausoleum of the Shunzhi Emperor.

'Hall of Enormous Grace'; Manchu: baili be ujelere deyen), gate of the burial chamber, two-pillar gate, stone altar-pieces, square city, memorial tower, glazed screen, crescent city, precious citadel, earth mound with the underground palace underneath.

Yuling has the finest tomb chamber, a series of nine vaults separated by four solid marble doors located at a depth of 54 metres (177 ft).

[1] The 3-ton doors themselves have reliefs of bodhisattvas (beings on the road to enlightenment) and the four protective kings usually found at temple entrances.

The interior has motifs strikingly painted in gold on dark wood, recalling the buildings where she spent her last years.

The mausoleum was started as a temporary resting hall under the direction of the Kangxi Emperor, who was the grandson of Xiaozhuang and followed her wishes in making this arrangement.

The tombs of Empress Dowager Cixi and the Qianlong Emperor were looted by troops under the command of the warlord Sun Dianying in 1928.

Eastern Qing tombs in 1900
Map of the imperial mausolea.