"Cultural Enrichment" Day 3: Ming Tombs
Another morning, another bus: at 8 am we headed off to the Ming Tombs. The Tombs are the burial places of 13 Ming Dynasty emperors, and are located just over 30 miles North of Beijing. According to the web site Chinavista.com, construction of the tombs began in 1409 and ended with the fall of the Ming Dynasty in 1644. The tombs are built in an area that is 40 square kilometers large; the area is enclosed by an ancient (now crumbly) wall.
When we pulled up to our first (of four) stops, Spirit Way, everyone tumbled out of the bus and looked confused. We stood in front of a gate for about fifteen minutes while our teachers sorted out ticket logistics, and then walked through the gate on onto the grounds.
I loved Spirit Way—a cool, long, tree-lined path flanked by white statues of animals and soldiers. The statues provided ample inspiration for a number of photographs. (I’ve included some here.)
The first Ming Tomb was an interesting example of China’s ancient culture. The second two were, to be honest, somewhat difficult to appreciate. The views from each tomb were spectacular, but the tomb-complexes seemed to have all been built along the same design principles: one concrete courtyard ran into another, and another, and another. While I’m sure that each tomb has it’s own distinguishing characteristics if you know what to look for, I felt like my knowledge of Chinese history and architecture was too shallow for me to really appreciate this World Heritage Site.
Nonetheless, the Tombs were worth visiting, even if only to appreciate the colorful splendor of the buildings and the region’s hills, orchards, and fields. I think that before I return to the spot, though, I definitely need to take a class on Chinese history!
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