The Ming Tombs
The Ming Tombs
The

  • Absolute Location: The Ming Tombs are located at 39° N latitude and 116° E longitude.

  • Relative Location: The tombs are located in China 50 miles north of Beijing.

  • Distance From My Home: You would have to travel 6,549 miles in a north-northwest direction to reach the Ming Tombs from my home.

  • My Place is Famous for: The Ming Tombs are famous for their human characteristics (thirteen magnificent burial chambers of deceased emperors).

  • Description: The Ming Tombs are the burial places of thirteen emperors of the ancient Ming Dynasty of China. The tombs are located in a semicircle spanning forty square kilometers. Each of the thirteen tombs is located at the base of its own hill and is connected to the other tombs by a path called the "Sacred Way."

  • Five Interesting Facts
    1. The Ming Tombs are the largest collection of royal burial sites located in one place.

    2. The tomb of Emperor Wan Li is the second largest tomb, was the first one excavated and opened to the public, and is called the Dingling tomb.

    3. There were a total of sixteen emperors of the Ming Dynasty, but only thirteen were buried in the same place.

    4. Chefs and experts in ancient Chinese culture are studying cookbooks that were found in the Dingling tomb in hopes of being able to recreate the Emperor Wan Li's favorite meal for visitors.

    5. The people of the Ming Dynasty believed jade had special preservative properties, and many of the tombs contain items made of jade.

  • Bibliography

    1. Beijing A Lonely Planet City Guide. 2nd ed. Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia: Lonely Planet Publication, 1996.

    2. Ming Tombs China - China tourist & travel guide for Ming Tombs, China, http://www.orientaltravel.com.hk/province/city/area/The_Ming_Tombs.htm, Travelnet.Ltd, October 6, 2002.

    3. Astrodienst-Atlas Query, http;//www.astro.com/cgi-bin/atlw3/aq.cgi?lang=e, Astrodienst Ag, October 6, 2002.

    4. Bosco, Bob and Fangman, Margie. "Ming Tombs - picture 5." E-mail to the author. 06 Oct. 2002.

    5. How Far is It, http://www.indo.com/distance/, October 6, 2002.

    6. Free Patterns at BackgroundCity.Com, http://backgroundcity.com/gr/group8.html, Falguni Mather, October 10, 2002.
    Created by: Brandi C.
    Date Created: October 16, 2002
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