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Published: September 9th 2007
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The Spirit Way
Carved of solid blocks of stones, these 36 statues of officials, soldiers, animals, and mythical beasts are the enduring symbols of one of China's greatest dynasties, the Ming Dynasty, as they guide us along the path to the once to believed "divine". The MichaelAngelo's and DaVinci's of China have been at work here. The "After-Life" of China's Imperial Dynasties was of great concern for the ruling emperors. They too could not escape the icy- and bony-fingers of the "Grim Reaper", and so they prepared for their inevitable demise and death from the moment of their coronation. They did so with profound and focused enthusiasm.
Tens of thousands of laborers were conscripted by the emperor and the ruling elite of eunichs, as were brilliant architects and throusands of skilled artisans, to initiate construction of their final resting-place quickly, to offer "comfort" on their journey to the beyond, at a moment, that could never be predicted.
These massive underground vaults of stone took decades each to construct, and turned into below-ground marble palaces. This would permit the emperor an existence of earthly luxuries for an eternety, comforted by their wifes and concubines, who were burried along the side-chambers. It is understood, that eunichs and concubines were interred with their emperor, alive. (They must have truly wanted to do all that was possible to keep the emperor alive for as long as possible, for their ultimate fate rested with an always un-timely death of the "divine" emperor.)
The fear of death pre-occupied China's royalty,
Warmth radiates from the reclining elephant's face.
It's been a dream to sit in the lap of an elephant. This one seemed especially docile. as it had emperors, kings, and pharoes in foreign lands, where other great, ancient cultures had flourished. The detailed preparations of their final resting places, which were shrouded in deep secrecy to insure the security of the tombs beyond time, remind civilization forever of grandeur and power on earth few of us can imagine today.
The death of any emperor in China signaled and initiated a sequence of carefully monitored ceremonies, that would take months, as the royal-body was layed to rest and given the "royal" send-off into his luxurious life in the beyond. In the mean-time the new emperor made his way to the throne, only to start the construction of his death-chambers.
**(The earliest emperors of China continue to astonish modern archeologists in cities like Xi'an, where the Terra-Cotta Warrior Army has become another Wonder of the World, with secrets still to be un-earthed. Journal Entry # 60).
During the 29th Olympic Games in 2008, Beijing will show-case its multitude of regal-tombs dating from China's last two great Dynasties, the Ming Dynasty (1369-1644) and the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). They are located withing a day's journey from the Forbidden City in Beijing.
For the next
The massive stone gate markes the beginning of the last stretch to the tombs.
The one entrance through the Stone Portico ahead signals the entrance to the Spirit Way. At this point, everyone part of the funeral procession had to dismount their horses and continue on foot. Only the emperors body was carried. 2 journal entries let me focus ONLY on the THE MING TOMBS, the most visited grave-site around Beijing. These are a short distance from the Great Wall, which helped to protect them from the evil spirits of the North.
THE MING TOMBS were located in accordance with Chinese geomantic specifications, requiring graves to be protected by high ground. The site faces Beijing, with mountains on three sides, topped by the Great Wall, to stop the evil carried by the winds from the North.
Below non-descript mountains of soil, but crowned with some of the Ming Dynasty's great architecture and designs, rest 13 of the 17 Ming Emperors, who ruled China between 14th, 15th, 16th, and into the 17th Century. They are interred in an area and a complex that spreads beyond 15 square miles.
**(In Europe is was the time, when the Moors still occupied much of Spain, only to be driven from its lands by Ferdinand and Isabella in 1492, followed by the "discovery" and plundering of the Americas. It was the time, when the Holy Roman Emperors struggled with the Popes in Rome, leading to and beyond the consequences of the Protestant Reformation.)
The
Whillows wheep.
One enters The Spirit Way through a massive stone portico, and is greeted by a gigantic carved turtle. Rubbing its nose brings luck and a long life. vastness of these mostly unexplored and almost impenetrable MING TOMBS speak for the dynasty's power on earth and their advanced contruction-techniques. Only three above-ground tomb-complexes have been restored and are overwhelmed by visitors. Ten others are open but more quiet.
But only the fortress-like burial-chamber of the longest reigning Ming Emperor Wanli, who died in 1620, has been excavated and is open to the public. Here, visitors can descend deep into the heart of the granite and marble chambers, and thousands do so daily. They are astonished by the massive marble gates, that would deter the most skilled grave-robbers, and would keep secret the content of the huge chambers for centuries, until an official excavation in the 1950's.
***(The next TravelBlog, Part II - #84, will have a photo presentation of the actual burial grounds and the chambers below. Here in Part I - #83, let me walk you on the "photo-journey" along THE SPIRIT WAY. THE SPIRIT WAY signales the beginning portion of the Emperor's final journey and procession to the burial chambers.)
Incredible treasures were found by the archeologist in the only opened tomb-chambers of Emperor Wanli. They are on display above ground, in the
The face makes you want to love it.
Wise, and strong, and patient, and enduring, the turtle is a reminder to man's impermanence. I hope rubbing its nose suggests a few extra years. Hall of Eminent Favor, one of China's most impressive surviving Ming buildings. The recovered treasures give us the visual clues to the wastefulness of this emperor, credited with the downfall of the Ming dynasty.
The rest of the 16 burial chambers of the Ming Emperors and some Queens are still sealed, and are waiting for future generations and better technology, to help preserve treasures and content, that may become adversely affected by indiscriminate excavations and careless explorations.
The luxuries and the treasures still to be un-earthed and to be opened by future generations can hardly be imagined. Around China, only a fraction of what appear as un-pretensious mounts of soil have been penetrated by man to reveal the secrets of China's 5,000 year history.
Future explorations into the many remaining tombs tantalize the phantasies of archeologist around the world. What is still to be uncovered from these impenetrable under-ground stuctures, will continue the testimony to China's past enigmatic culture.
The funeral ceremonies of an emperor and the ritual processions along THE SPIRIT WAY were led by multitudes of concubines and eunichs, who accompanied the emperor on his journey to the beyond. They were then to be
The Road to Eternity
It is easy to walk the length of this unique road towards the beyond. One begins to understand tranquility. buried alive within the solid stone constructions of elaborate chambers.
All had been meticulously planned. The direction of a North to South Axis and the geographic locations and protective mountains nearby, from which also gold and precious stones could be mined for completing these after-life, royal apartments below, was carefully calculated.
***(There are un-assuming hills around many of China's once imperial cities. Many hide within them secrets, that have been undisturbed for centuries and milliniums, and have been forgotten by the local population over time, until discovered by accident, sometimes by local farmers. The city of Xi'an is the perfect example, where farmers digging for a well only decades ago touched off one of the world's greatest archeological discoveries, the Terra Cotta Warrior Army of thousands.)
The "photo-journey" in this TravelBlog #83 presents the beginning, and only part, of a 4 mile approach to THE MING TOMBS. It is an imposing route known as THE SPIRIT WAY.
THE SPIRIT WAY is a section of the road lined with whispering Whillow-trees, that shade 36 striking, stone statues of soldiers, officials, scholars, and animals, each carved from single blocks of stone. Along the path, camels, elephants, unicorns, horses,
The Scholar
Education has been valued in China throughout its history. The scholar was in intrigal part of the emperor's court. His status gave him a place of honor along The Spirit Way. and mythical beasts have been guarding China's passing centuries, and they have done so stone-cold, with imperious silence.
Visitors focus in awe as they near each of the marvelous stone carvings. These seem to ignore the passing visitors, who may be afraid to touch the large stone figures for fear they may come alive.
THE SPIRIT WAY is often the forgotten part of the Ming Tombs by the tourist companies, who would rather crowd visitors either on the actual burial grounds or into the shops of the nearby Friendship-Stores, where jade and silk lure the money from the pockets of the tourists.
I personally was gratified and satisfied with my visit and my walk along THE SPIRIT WAY, and hope to experience it again. Passing each of the thirty-six exquisite, 18thCentury, Ming stone carvings permits visitors to ponder and reflect history in silence. It is a beautiful Avenue, lined with monuments and spirits, which honor glories of China's past.
Along its route have marched, with greatest reverence, the colorful funeral processions of 13 deceased Chinese Emperors of the Ming Dynasty on their way to their burial-chambers 4 miles away. THE SPIRIT WAY and its representations will
The Dedicated Court Official
Court officials where selected by through a series of examinations, and many found great favor with the emperor and the people. endure as a momentous journey for every visitor to THE MING TOMB complex near China's Capitol of Beijing.
Again I urge you to enlarge the photos for their greater detail. In the next journal we will visit the actual Ming Tombs. I hope everyone is doing well. Let me know how I can improve the presentations of my adventures through China.
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