The Shenlu, also known as the Thirteen Tombs’ Spirit Way or Changling Spirit Way, serves as the prelude to the Changling tomb complex located within the Ming Tombs Scenic Area in Changping, Beijing. Spanning approximately 7.3 kilometers, the Spirit Way was initially constructed during the early Ming Dynasty,正统时期. It stretches from south to north and originally featured a series of tomb ceremonial facilities and bridge structures such as the stone archway, triple-arch bridge, grand red gate, Stele Pavilion of Divine Merit and Virtue, stone figures, spirit star gate, five-arch southern bridge, seven-arch bridge, and five-arch northern bridge. Except for the deteriorated bridges, the rest are well-preserved.
The stone archway marks the beginning of the Spirit Way and is one of the earliest and highest-ranking large-scale stone archways in the style of wooden structures in China, exquisitely crafted from white and blue stones, with a translucent and ethereal design. The grand red gate stands as the main entrance to the tomb area, featuring a single eave and a hall-style roof, covered with yellow glazed tiles and supported by stone ice plate eaves, presenting an elegant and grand appearance. The Stele Pavilion of Divine Merit and Virtue retains its original Ming Dynasty walls and foundation, housing the ‘Great Ming Changling Divine Merit and Virtue Stele’, a white stone carving. At each corner of the pavilion stands a magnificent 10.81-meter-tall octagonal huabiao pillar, topped by a majestic creature known as the ‘crouching dragon’. North of the pavilion, within an area of over 800 meters, twelve pairs of stone animals and six pairs of stone figures are placed to represent the imperial dignity. The end of the stone figures is marked by the spirit star gate, which consists of three gates, with two door leaves that can be opened and closed, symbolizing ‘six leaves opening and closing’. It is also known as the Dragon and Phoenix Gate, as it is the passage that emperors and empresses must pass through for burial in the tomb. The entire area is open to visitors from 08:30 to 18:00 throughout the year. Preferential policies include: Children under 6 years old or under 1.2 meters in height enter for free; Elderly people aged 60 and above enter for free with valid identification; Disabled individuals (including military disabled) enter for free with a valid disability certificate or military disability certificate; Active-duty military personnel, firefighters, and retired personnel enter for free with valid identification (military security cards are not considered valid); Beijing Tong – Elderly and Disabled Assistance Card holders enter with an official card; temporary card holders must also present their ID card; Students aged between 6 and 18 years old, and full-time undergraduate students enter at half price with valid identification; Social security recipients enter at half price with a social security benefit certificate; Youth from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan enter at half price with valid identification such as the Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents, the Mainland Travel Permit for Taiwan Residents, or student ID cards.
