The Eastern Qing Tombs are located 125km east of Beijing, at the foot of the Changrui Mountain.
It is among the finest, largest and best-preserved tomb complexes in China.
Five emperors, 14 empresses and 136 imperial consorts are buried here, including the famous emperor Qianlong and empress Dowager Cixi.
The tombs are beautiful and a spirit way with statues of animals and guardians leads to them. They offer a lot more to see than the Ming Tombs near Beijing, but yet see far fewer visitors, which is part of the appeal. Also, they haven't been badly restored and retain a true historical feel. Some of them are simply exquisite and the location is fantastic.
It's a bit tricky to get here by public transport, but every Saturday a bus departs at 7am from Xuanwumen in Beijing. Once you get to the tombs, you will be allowed to explore freely for a few hours. It is best to hire a vehicle to take you around as the area is rather large.