Ding Mausoleum, Imperial mausoleum in Changping District, China

Ding Mausoleum is an imperial burial site in Changping District, China, featuring underground marble chambers. The complex includes exhibition halls, restored gates, and a landscaped approach path through wooded grounds.

The complex was built as a resting place for Emperor Wanli and two empresses in the late 16th century. The opening of the burial chamber in the 1950s marked the first time archaeologists examined a Ming tomb of this kind.

The name Dingling combines 'Ding', meaning stability or tranquility, with 'ling', a term used for imperial tombs both before and after the Ming dynasty. The tomb holds Wanli with Empress Xiaoduan and Empress Xiaojing, the latter reburied here after her son's brief reign. The museum name was inscribed by Guo Moruo, who had backed the excavation.

Access involves stairs leading down into the underground sections, with lighting kept low throughout. The rooms can feel cool, so appropriate clothing is recommended when visiting the chambers.

The excavation accidentally damaged many silk artifacts, leading to new methods in handling delicate historical textiles. Since then, no other Ming imperial tombs have been opened for scientific study.