Stock Photo - Thirteen Tombs of the Ming Dynasty are 50 kilometers North of Beijing. During the Ming dynasty the tombs were off limits to commoners but are now open and are a UNESCO World heritage site. The site of the Tombs was carefully chosen according to Feng Shui principles. According to these,bad spirits and evil winds descending from the North must be deflected,therefore,an arc_shaped area at the foot of the Jundu Mountains was selected,an enclosed valley. A seven kilometer road named the Spirit Way leads into the complex which is one of the finest preserved pieces of 15th century Chinese art and architecture. Here a stone statue of a traditional Chinese soldier stands to attention on the Spirit way