Sacred Way

The Sacred Way meaning the road leading to Heaven is part of the Ming Tombs complex. The emperor, known as the “Son of Heaven” went through the sacred road to the sacrificial altar to converse Heaven during his reign, naturally, after his death, he would also go through the Sacred Way back to heaven. It is a road usually built in front of an ancient Chinese mausoleum, which symbolically led emperors to Heaven. The Sacred Way in the Ming Tomb is a typical one.

The Sacred Way in front of the Ming Tombs is a long is a straight path with 4 kilometers. At the beginning of the Sacred Way, a huge stone memorial archway is standing at the front of the area. Constructed in 1540, during the Ming Dynasty, this archway is the earliest and biggest stone archway existing in China today. Further on, visitors will find a stele pavilion. At the four corners of the pavilion, there are four tall marble columns towering about ten meters (32.8 feet).

Then the road is flanked with 12 human statues including ancient government officials and then 12 pairs of animals figures including lions, xie zhi (a mythical beast of feline family, with a mane and a horn on its head), camels, elephants, Qilin (a kind of imaginary animal with a scaly body, a cow's tail, deer's hooves and, horns on its head), horses. To the north of there figurines, there are the Dragon and Phoenix Gate marking the end of the Scared Way. Beyond these two gates, the Sacred Way goes on towards the Changling-the main tomb of the Ming Tombs.