by han chinese coming from an agricultural society in central china, people believed the existence of an after-world, where the dead "lived" a life similar to that of the living. ming emperor, therefore, has grand mausoleums built for themselves. qing rulers did likewise.
stone archway
the stone archway at the southern end of the sacred way, built in 1540, is 14 metres high and 19 metres wide, and is decorated with designs of clouds, waves and divine animals. well-proportioned and finely carved, the archway is one of the best preserved specimens of its kink in the ming dynasty. it is also the largest ancient stone archway in china.
stele pavilion
the stele pavilion, not far from the great palace gate, is actually a pavilion with a double-eaved roof. on the back of the stele is carvedpoetry written by emperor qianlong of the qing dynasty when he visited the ming tombs.
sacred way
the sacred way inside the gate of the ming tomb is lined with 18 pairs of stone human figures and animals. these include four each of three types of officials: civil, military and meritorious officials, symbolizing those who assist the emperor in the administration of the state, plus four each of six iypes of animals: lion, griffin, camel, elephant, unicorn and horse.
yongling tomb
yongling, built in 1536, is the tomb for emperor shizong, zhu houcong (1507-1566). he stayed in power for 45 years.
dingling tomb
the ding