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Imperial Tombs - Shisanling (Thirteen Tombs)
Shisanling lies at the foot of the Tianshou Mountains, about 50 kilometers northwest of Beijing in Changping County. Thirteen of China's 16 emperors are buried here, hence its name. All the tombs are scattered over an area of more than 40 kilometers in circumference. From here stretches the seven kilometer-long Spiritual Road, marked by Dagongmen (the Great Palace) at the beginning and Changling (Chang Tomb) at the end.
The most impressive features along the Spiritual Road are 24 stone animals followed by 12 stone figures of civil and military officials lining your path. Along the way, you'll see four of each of the following: lions, camels, horses, elephants, Qilin and Xiezhai (both of which are Chinese mythical beasts).
Dingling is the tomb of Emperor Wanli (1573-1620), the 13th emperor, and his two empresses. The construction of Dingling lasted six years with 30,000 men working daily during the busiest construction period. It features an entire Underground Palace (see photo), which is 27 meters below the surface and occupies a floor space of 1,195 square meters for displaying the coffins of the emperor and his two empresses.
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