Tomb of Ming Dynasty - is a memorial complex in whose territory the Chinese emperors' tombs of thirteen Ming Dynasty. According to Chinese this place and called Shisanlin (Shisanlin) - Thirteen Tombs ( «lines» - Tomb). Located Shisanlin complex about 50 kilometers northwest of Beijing, and tourists usually combine a visit to the tombs of travel to the Great Wall of China. Shisanlin occupies an area of about 40 sq km Once the entire territory Thirteen Tombs was surrounded by brick walls, but now on the wall next to nothing left. The first tomb built here in 1413 Yunle emperor for his wife Xu, who died in 1407. In 1424 there was buried itself Yongle. In the future, there had been buried twelve Ming dynasty emperors who ruled the country in 1424 - 1644 years. Here, buried a mother, wife and children emperors.
Each tomb surrounded by fortress walls with gates, which is burial mound with a tower. A deep under the ground is the so-called «underground palace», which, strictly speaking, and are sarcophagi with the emperor and his neighbor. After «underground palace» sarcophagus placed himself emperor, the door to the cave wall, a tunnel that leads here, filled so that the surface had no trace.
Only in 1956 was excavated entrance to the «underground palace» one of the tombs - Dinlin (Diling). Dinlin - the tomb of Emperor Shentszuna, ruled under the slogan Vanli in the years 1573-1620. It Dinlin usually attend the tourists. For quite a long entrance road leading to the tower, which is the name «Minlou» (Minglou). Over the tower is located burial mound - Baoding (Baoding). Inside this mound at a depth of 27 meters is «underground palace» Emperor Vanli. The length of the lead here from the surface of the tunnel is 115 meters, so tourists had arranged a shorter path: proryta vertical shaft and built a special ladder. «Underground Palace» consists of five rooms, with a total area of 1195 sq. m. Sarcophagus of the Emperor and his two wives are in the big hall, length - 32 m, width - 9 m and height - 9.2 m. The sarcophagi were made of wood, and is now on public display exhibited only copies. In one of the other rooms in the marble throne of Emperor.
Most tourists survey Dinlin and limit their familiarity with the Ming dynasty tombs. However, it should be noted that Dinlin - not the largest tomb in Shisanlin.
Finally the story of the Ming Dynasty tombs, it should be noted that from the south to fit a particular set of sacred road (Shendao, in Chinese), length - nearly 7 km. At one of the sites of the road on both sides of its set of stone sculptures depicting real and mythical animals, and humans. There are 24 sculptures of animals and 12 sculptures of people. The sculptures were installed as early as 1435. At a time when the Thirteen Tombs complex was surrounded by the Wall, sacred road was the only way, which could reach Shisanlin. Now, the road led through bypassing the Holy roads, traffic on it closed, and many tourists did not even see it.
