Other Ming Tombs
Wicked Concubine

This section covers a few distinguished -and sometimes almost forgotten- mausoleums. They include tombs of concubines, eunuchs, a general and even a king.

One of these tombs is actually the largest imperial Ming mausoleum in existence -and it doesn't even entomb an Emperor!

Another tomb contains the person that constructed the still extant northern moat of central Beijing!

Simple tombstone

Some concubines managed to get their own mausoleum and a couple of eunuchs were honored with a tomb close to their Emperor.

But most ordinary folks could only afford a simple burial and a small tomb stone. Farmers even to this very day often reserve a small plot of land in their field as a mausoleum for the family members, like the one above.

concubine

Imperial concubines

Often influenced the emperor's decisions and hence the fate of the empire.

eunuch

Eunuchs

Castrated males, many of whom contributed to the demise of the Ming.

Yu Yuan

Zhu Yuyuan (1476-1519)

Ming emperor, who never reigned as a Ming emperor

General Xu Da

Xu Da (1332-85)

Key general and Zhu Yuanzhang's brother in arms in the early Ming period.

General Wu Liang

Wu Liang (1324-81)

Cofounder of the Ming dynasty and one of Zhu Yuanzhang's famous generals.

General Chang Yuchun

Chang Yuchun (1330-69)

Brave, loyal general defeating Mongolian forces as well as local warlords.

General Qiu Cheng

Qiu Cheng (-1380)

A somewhat unknown but important character in the early Ming Dynasty.

General Wu Zhen

Wu Zhen (1328-79)

Admiral of the Ming dynasty and a loyal supporter of Zhu Yuanzhang.