Take the Subway and See: The Ming Tombs

Want to explore far flung places around Beijing without booking a car or trip just to do so? Hop on the subway! In this continuation of a series we ran over CNY, we'll be showcasing a few scenic spots and historic sites situated at or near the end of three subway lines. All you've got to do to get there is hop on the subway and take it there.

The Ming Tombs (明十三陵景区 míngshísānlíng jǐngqū)

What is it?

Simply put, it’s a complex of tombs of the Ming emperors – 13 to be exact, going off the Chinese name, “13 tombs” – their wives, concubines, and servants. The complex itself, coupled with a visit to the Forbidden City, makes for an excellent exploration of imperial life.

How to Get There by Subway

This is one of the longer routes in our brief series, clocking in at over two hours by subway. To take the subway all the way to the Ming Tombs, you’ll need to hop on Changping Line, which you can transfer to from Line 10 via Xitucheng Station (西土城 xī tǔchéng) and Line 8 via Zhuxinzhuang Station (朱辛庄 zhūxīnzhuāng). From wherever you hop on, just take Changping Line all the way to Shisanling Scenic Area Station (十三陵景区 shísānlíng jǐngqū).

There’s just one more catch with this route: from the station it’s a bit of a walk to get there. We’d recommend taking a bus the rest of the way, you can take the 78 to Taigongmen Station. From there it’s just a straight line to the scenic area’s south gate.

Important stuff:

Tickets are RMB 20 for adults and can be purchased at the entrance

READ: Story of the 'Jing: A History of Commerce at Longfusi

Images: Uni You