The sacred way or "the path to divinity" (Photo credit: China Foto Press)

The Ming Tombs were opened to the public in 1959. In 1991 they were listed by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage among the 'Top 40 Famous Tourist Attractions in China'. In 1992 they were designated by the judging board of 'World No. 1 Tourist Attractions in Beijing' as 'the best-preserved tomb group, with the largest number of buried emperors'. The tombs lie at the foot of Tianshou Mountain, in Changping District, about 50 kilometers from the urban area; they may be reached by bus.

The Ming Tombs, which form a group of mausoleums, are those of 13 emperors in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). They cover an area of about 120 square kilometers. Screened on the northwest by the lofty Yanshan Mountains, they sit on a small basin formed by floods; water flowing down the ravines meets on the plain and meanders to the east. Magnificent cemetery buildings with red walls, yellow tiles, upturning eaves stand on the eastern, western and northern slopes. In particular, the mausoleum of Emperor Chengzu lies in the center of the northern slope, which is flanked by the other twelve. The general layout conveys a solemn, harmonious order of importance, which is accentuated by the mountains and rivers.

The mausoleums, in chronological order of construction, are the Chang Mausoleum, the Xian Mausoleum, the Jing Mausoleum, the Yu Mausoleum, the Mao Mausoleum, the Tai Mausoleum, the Kang Mausoleum, the Yong Mausoleum, the Zhao Mausoleum, the Ding Mausoleum, the Qing Mausoleum, the De Mausoleum, and the Si Mausoleum. Besides the 13 emperors, there were also others buried in the mausoleums, including 23 empresses, one guifei (highest-ranking imperial concubine), and dozens of servants buried alive. There are also seven cemeteries of concubines, a tomb of eunuchs buried alive, and temporary abodes with gardens for emperors and empresses coming to offer sacrifices. Defenses were set up around the mausoleums, with bulwarks and barricades on naturally formed mountain passes.

The stone stele in the tablet house (Photo credit: China Foto Press)

Among the mausoleums, the largest is the Chang Mausoleum while the smallest is the Si Mausoleum, but all of them were built in roughly the same way. They form a group, yet each of them stands alone as an independent unit. Before each tomb there is a stone stele, and each mausoleum is enclosed with a wall. Along the central axis of each one stand the following structures: the gate, Ling'en Gate, Ling'en Hall, Lingxing Gate, stone wugong, Ming Tower. The Ming Tower houses a stele inscribed with the posthumous title and honorary title of the emperors. Behind the tower is Treasure Town filled with loess. Next is the shrine of the empress. Each mausoleum has a room for eunuchs looking after it, a garden for planting vegetables and fruits for sacrifice, and was guarded by troops stationed in Changping.

The Ming Tombs are characterized by its large size, complete system, and intact preservation. As the representative of ancient Chinese imperial mausoleums, they reflect the richness of traditional Chinese culture, with very high historic and cultural value. As part of the age-old Chinese culture, they adorn the land of Beijing like pearls. Entirely forbidden in the past, they are now a tourist attraction famous at home and abroad. Currently four spots are officially opened to the public, namely the Ding Mausoleum, the Chang Mausoleum, the Zhao Mausoleum and the passages to the tombs.

Preservation Efforts: Among UNESCO World Heritage sites are China's many imperial tombs. Under the restoration programs, the number of imperial tombs which have undergone large-scale renovations has reached double digits.