WHAT: An RASBJ excursion focusing on a special Ming tomb, Kangling, plus the mythical tile animals that guard its roofs

WHEN: On Sunday, September 22, the excursion begins and ends at the same place, a location near Guloudajie subway station (lines 2 and 8). The bus leaves promptly at 9 AM and returns between 4:15-4:30 PM depending on traffic and weather conditions. Confirmed registrants will be advised by Sept. 20 of the precise address.

MORE ABOUT THE EVENT: Our destination, the valley of the Ming Tombs, is the final resting place of 13 Ming emperors. Kangling, the tomb of the 10th Ming emperor, is intimate in scale. Its emperor, Zhu Houzhao, enjoyed horse-racing and cockfighting; official accounts called him "fatuous" (although there's a back story). Meanwhile his is the only Ming tomb where the "soul tower" walls have not been plastered and painted -- allowing us to see "kiln marks" on the bricks, and other historical features. We'll enjoy a gentle walk in the enclosure (all aboveground) and up to the "soul tower" terrace with its magnificent views. Then we'll stroll to a nearby restaurant for a village lunch. Afterwards we'll ride the bus to Shahe (partway back to Beijing's city center), to visit a tile-maker's warehouse teeming with multi-colored imperial tiles shaped like mythical beasts – dragons, celestial horses, phoenixes and so on. They're said to bring good luck to the roofs upon which they're placed. You can purchase some if you wish, but please handle with care -- the items are fragile. Some glazed edges are sharp.

Altogether, the excursion will take a little over 7 hours; the valley is about an hour's drive from central Beijing. At Kangling, commentary will be provided by RASBJ's Melinda Liu who has organized tours in the Ming Tombs valley since 2019.

HOW MUCH: RMB 280 for members of RASBJ and RAS partner branches; RMB 380 for non-members. This includes round-trip bus transport, lunch and entrance tickets to the Kangling tomb -- but does not include personal purchases you may or may not wish to make. You may find payment by Alipay easier than by Wechat. You can also pay by international credit card. Interested in becoming an RASBJ member? Please sign up at https://rasbj.org/membership​

HOW TO JOIN THE EVENT: Please click "Register" or "I Will Attend" by 5 PM on September 20, and follow the instructions, which will include providing your Wechat name so we can reach you with any last-minute information and updates. After successful registration you will receive a confirmation email. If you seem not to have received it, please check your spam folder.

Members of partner RAS Branches: Please register 72 hours in advance to allow time for membership verification. You'll receive three emails from us: the first confirming receipt of your registration request, the second requesting payment, and the third confirming receipt of payment. Please check your spam folder to ensure you see all RASBJ details.

Numbers will be limited; places will be allocated in order of receipt of payment. Registrations for those who have not paid by September 20 will be cancelled.

REFUND POLICY: Attendees will be refunded in full if the event is cancelled or postponed by RASBJ.