Ming Dingling — Emperor Wanli's Underground Palace

The only excavated Ming imperial tomb, revealing the underground burial chambers of the Wanli Emperor (reigned 1572–1620) and his two empresses, with original burial goods on display in the adjacent museum.

Dingling is one of thirteen mausoleums in the Ming Tombs UNESCO World Heritage complex in the Changping district north of Beijing. It is the only Ming imperial tomb whose underground palace (dìgōng) has been fully excavated and opened to the public — an excavation carried out from 1956 to 1958 that was, in retrospect, conducted under conditions that led to the loss of many organic materials including silk textiles and wooden lacquerware.

The Wanli Emperor — the Wanli Emperor, personal name Zhu Yijun — was the thirteenth Ming emperor and had one of the longest reigns in Chinese imperial history (48 years). His tomb was commissioned in 1584, when he was 22 years old. The underground palace lies at a depth of 27 m below the burial mound and consists of five marble-vaulted chambers totalling approximately 1,195 m². The central hall, which would have held the spirit tablet, and the rear hall, where the three coffins were placed, are the largest spaces.

The main burial chamber has been fitted with replica coffins (the originals decayed) and displays the arrangement of burial goods as they were found. The adjacent Dingling Museum holds artefacts recovered from the excavation, including the Wanli Emperor's gold burial crown, embroidered dragon robes, jade belt hooks, porcelain funerary vessels, and the jewellery of the two empresses.

Combining Dingling with a visit to the Spirit Road (Shendao) — the approach avenue to the Ming Tombs with its remarkable parade of stone humans and animals, some of the finest Ming sculpture in existence — makes a full day excursion from Beijing.