In Changping County, northwest of Beijing, lie the tombs of thirteen Ming Dynasty Emperors who ruled China from 1368 to 1644. As one approaches the area via the Spirit Way, or Avenue of the Animals, 24 wonderful Ming Dynasty sculptures of animals appear, each carved out of a single large piece of stone. There are 12 pairs of animals. Beyond the animals are 12 stone carvings of 4 fierce looking soldiers. 4 civil officials, and 4 scholars.
       The Ming Tomb is the best-preserved imperial mausoleum structure buried most emperors. Thirteen of the sixteen Ming emperors are buried in this picturesque valley with orchards and rolling hills.

           When a Ming Emperor died all of his concubines were buried alive to serve him in the next world.
Emperor Yongle was buried in Changping in 1424 at the end of Spirit Way. A model, with explanations in English, of the the entire site is displayed in the Palace of Sacrificing. This is the best preserved of all the tombs.

         It was originally built only as Changling, the tomb of Emperor Zhuli and his empresses. This is the most magnificent of the tombs. The succeeding twelve emperors had their tombs built around Changling.Only the Changling and Dingling tombs are open to the public. Changling, the chief of the Ming Tombs, is the largest in scale and is completely preserved.