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Western Qing tombs

Coordinates: 39°22′06″N 115°20′43″E / 39.368395°N 115.345159°E / 39.368395; 115.345159
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Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Western Qing Tombs
CriteriaCultural: i, ii, iii, iv, v, vi
Reference1004
Inscription2000 (24th Session)
Extensions2003; 2004
Coordinates39°22′06″N 115°20′43″E / 39.368395°N 115.345159°E / 39.368395; 115.345159

The Western Qing tombs (Chinese: 清西陵; pinyin: Qīng Xī líng) are located some 140 km (87 mi) southwest of Beijing in Yi County, Hebei Province. They constitute a necropolis that incorporates four royal mausoleums where seventy-eight royal members in all are buried. These include four emperors of the Qing dynasty and their empresses, imperial concubines, princes and princesses, as well as other royal servants.

History

Construction of the Western Qing tombs was initiated by the Yongzheng Emperor who broke with tradition and refused to be buried in the Eastern Qing tombs. Some have speculated, though not proven, that as Yongzheng had illegally usurped the throne by eliminating his brothers, his motive to relocate his tomb to the Western Qing tombs was that he did not wish to be buried alongside his father the Kangxi Emperor.[citation needed] Later on his son, the Qianlong Emperor, decided that he should be buried in the Eastern Qing tombs and dictated that thereafter burials should alternate between the eastern and western sites, although this was not followed consistently.

The first tomb, the Tai Ling, was completed in 1737, two years after the end of the Yongzheng reign. The last imperial interment was in 1913, when the Guangxu Emperor was entombed in the Chong Ling (崇陵).

Main Tombs

One of the tombs

The four tombs in Western Qing Tombs are:

Tourism

Although the Western Qing tombs are a popular attraction they are not as well known as the Ming Dynasty Tombs.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Western Qing Tombs.
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