The tomb of the Jiaqing emperor. [Photo/CRIENGLISH.com]

Harems of imperial concubines, royal theft, arsenic poisoning, rumors of fratricide and patricide... Today's peaceful sights of the Western Qing Tombs belie the periods of drama and intrigue that absorbed them before.

Beijing may be renowned as the historical and cultural capital of China, but it accordingly has a reputation for drawing large crowds of tourists. All of China is filled with history, and just outside of Beijing there are Qing Dynasty sites which are overlooked too often.