The Thirteen Ming Tombs and the Governance during the Ming Dynasty
The“thirteen tombs”as they are known popularly in Chinese are the imperial tombs of 13 of the 16Ming-dynasty（1368–1644）Emperors.The word ling indicates the small mound over a tomb.These tombs or mounds with their graves underneath are located near Tianshou Mountain in Changping County，around 50 kilometers to the northwest of Beijing.The 14 Emperors from Chengzu to Sizong are all buried here，with theexception of Daizong Zhu Qiyu whose Jingtai Ling is inthe western precincts of Beijing.The other thirteen are here and each has its own name.In chronological order，they are：Changling of Chengzu，Xianling of Renzong，Jingling of Xuanzong，Yuling of Yingzong，Maoling of Xianzong，Tailing of Xiaozong，Kangling of Wuzong，Yongling of Shizong，Zhaoling of Muzong，Dingling of Shenzong，Qingling of Guangzong，Deling of Xizong，and Siling of Sizong.
The tomb district of these thirteen Ming Tombs covers an area of forty square kilometers.The first evidence that one is entering the district is passage through the middle of parallel lines of stone stelae.This is the earliest and best preserved of stelae passageways or“alleys”in China.After the steles is a large gate，which is the proper entryway to the Tomb district.Before the gate is a stele that reads“officials must dismount here.”Further on is what is known as the Spirit Way.This is a passageway，750 meters long，lined on either side with pairs of stone-carved statues of men and animals.There are 18 pairs or36 sculptures in all.The tradition of placing stone menand stone animals as an entryway to a tomb dates from2，000 years ago，from the Qin and Han periods.This was primarily as a form of ornamentation for the grave but also to symbolize the status and protection of a person before his death.
At present，one can visit only two of the tombs in the thirteen Ming tombs，which are Changling and Dingling.Changling is the tomb of Chengzu Zhu Di（reigned 1403–1424，reign name Yongle），and his empresses.It covers ten square meters.The main building above ground at Changling is the Hall of Eminent Favor.This is one of four similar great halls in China，which include the Taihe Hall in the Forbidden City in Beijing，the Dacheng Hall at the Confucian Temple in Shandong at Qufu，and the Hall at the temple at the foot of the mountain at Taishan.At the thirteen tombs，this Ling’en Hall occupies 1，956.44square meters, which is larger than the Hall in the Forbidden City.Each of the sixty pillars of this massive structure is composed of one single tree.In the Taihe Hall there are a total of 72 pillars，however they are nothing like as precious since they are made of pine whereas those of Ling’en are made of a very valuable wood called“golden nanmu.”These pillars have stood untreated by any protective coating for 600 years，and yet they are completely undamaged.
Dingling is situated at the foot of the Dayu mountains，and holds the grave of the Ming Shenzong Emperor（reigned 1572–1620，reign name Wanli），and also his two empresses.The construction of Dingling began in the 12th year of Wanli and continued until the 28th year（1584–1590）.The construction expended more than eight million taels of silver，roughly equivalent to two years of national income during the Wanli period，or enough grain for tenmillion people for one year.The underground palace ofDingling was excavated in 1956.In 1959，the DinglingMuseum was officially established.