subject: The Monuments Around Beijing [print this page] The monuments around Beijing The monuments around Beijing
Beijing is the capital of China and the political and cultural center of the country. Beijing has a very long history that exceeds 3000 years as an inhabited city. Many China Tours today must include a visit to Beijing.
However, Beijing will always attain its mixture between the ancient and the modern as many other cities around the world like Rome, Greece, and Cairo.
The Qing Eastern Tombs
Designed like the Thirteen Tombs of Ming, the Eastern Qing tombs are similar to those of the Ming in many aspects. They have the same spirit ways, huge walled tombs, and subterranean burial chambers.
The Qing Tombs on the other hand are rather more elegant and less crowded than these of the Ming. Some marvelous travel packages to China may include visiting many ancient necropolises. The Qing Eastern Tombs contains the remains of 5 emperors, 14 empresses, and many royal family members. Today, many tourists who spend their holidays in China would explore some of these interesting monuments.
With the decline of the Qing power in the beginning of the 20th century, the Eastern Tombs of the Qing was the most elegant and expansive necropolis all over China. The Eastern Qing tombs are much better preserved than these of the Ming on the other section of the city and many tombs were actually richly restored and renovated.
One of the notable features of the visit to the Qing Eastern Tombs is that sometimes the tourists, with the little number of guests that often go to the tombs, will find themselves inside a portrait coming from the past.
In the Qing Eastern Tombs, there are nine tombs that are opened for public visits and there are actually two marvelous tombs that travelers who tour China must stop and admire.
The first is that of Yuling, that hosts the remains of one of the most powerful Qing emperors, Qianlong, who lived in China from 1711 to 1799 and he ruled over the country for around 60 years. The tomb is featured with some open courtyards and then the guest will enter into the burial chamber of the emperor through a stela hall. Afterwards, the guess will go down for around 65 feet on a staircase and then he will find himself in front the first of the marvelous marble gates of the burial chamber.
Beyond this gate, extensive Buddha paintings and decorations are all around the walls and the ceilings of the chamber. Although not many tourists who spend their Beijing Tour would explore the Qing Tombs, they are really worth a visit for any history fan.
The other fascinating tomb in the Qing Eastern Tombs is that of Dingdongling. It was established for the empress Dowager Cizi who was known for her failure to guide her country in the beginning of the 20th century. A well known story tells that Cizi spent a large amount of money on a stone boat for the Summer Temple while she was supposed to spend it on strengthening the Chinese naval fleet.
The tomb of empress Cizi is one of the largest and most elegant tombs in Qing Eastern Tombs. It was said that the construction of the tomb cost around 72 tons of silver. Most of the wall decorations of the tomb of empress Cizi are considered to be distinctive in comparison to many other tombs in China. This is because the Phoenix, which symbolized the female, was carved in the same level and sometimes above the dragon, the symbol of males.
A large hall rich in its golden decorations displays some of the items of the empress including gowns, some coats, and many imported cigarettes. There is also a remarkable wax statue of the empress sitting like Buddha inside a lotus plant. Many custom tours to China can be organized to include a visit to this old necropolis.
