Tombeaux des Ming

"UNESCO World Heritage In 1402 Emperor Zhu Di (also known by the imperial name of Yongiel seized the throne from his nephew Zhu Yunwen in doing so, Zhu Di became the third Ming emperor and moved the capital from Nanjing to his own city, Beijing. When his wife. Empress Xu, died in 1407 Zhu Di sent a diviner to find a suitable location for an imperial bunal ground. The chosen area was good for both scenery and military defense as it was surrounded on three sides by Yanshan Mountain Construction began in 1409 and thirteen of the sixteen Ming emperors were eventually buried here, with the last tomb dating from 1644. The site of the tombs covers 15 square miles (40 so km). Although there is variation in the scale and grandeur of the tombs all foliow the same basic layout. Each mausoleum is surrounded by a wall and entered through the Gate of Prominent Favors, This leads to the Hall of Prominent Favors used for the offering of sacrifices and worship by the deceased emperor's descendants. The halls are generally made of nanmu wood, which was favored in the Ming era. Behind the hall is the walled burial mound for the emperor and empress, and in front of this is the Soul Tower. This small building holds a stele bearing the emperor's posthumous title. Surrounding the complex were the quarters of the officials who were in charge of offerings. Bricks used in the construction weighed about 55 pounds (25 kg) and had the word shou (longevity) imprinted. The scale of the tombs varied partly according to whether they were built by the emperor himself or by his descendants The tombs are approached by a long sacred way lined with statues of animals and officials. Today only three of the tombs are open; of these, Zhu Di's tomb is the mast impressive, but in the Dingling tomb it is possible to enter the burial mound"