Beijing Sightseeing
Beijing sightseeing spotsBeijing sightseeing tours
Beijing evening tour
Beijing travel tips
Beijing nightlife
Beijing shopping
Beijing restaurant
Beijing weather
Beijing foreign embassies
Beijing subway map
Beijing airport transfer
Great wall tour
Beijing china tour
Beijing nightlife
Beijing day tours
Beijing hutong
Beijing tours
Popular Scenic Spots
Tiananmen Square & Forbidden CitySummer Palace
Temple of Heaven
Ming Tombs
Hutong (traditional part of Beijing)
Beijing Zoo
Lama Temple
Xiushui Market/Silk Market
The Sacred Way
Bird's Nest & Water Cube (Olympic Village)
National Centre of Performing Arts
Olympic Green
Great Wall at Juyongguan (the most magnificent)
Great Wall at Badaling (the most famous)
Great wall at Mutianyu (the prettiest)
Great wall at Simatai (good for hiking)
Great wall at Jinshanling (good for hiking)
Huanghuacheng Great wall (not officially open, steep)
Jiankou Great wall (steepest)
- The Most Popular Scenic Spots
The Sacred Way
-
The Sacred Way is part of the Ming Tombs complex. It is a long, straight path flanked by statues first of ancient government officials and then by animals. The Sacred Way ends at a stone archway. Built in 1540, it is now a monumental construction, built of white marble with five arches. Six rectangular pillars support it with beautiful bas-relief carvings (lions, dragons, lotus flowers). It is 14 meters high and 28.86 meters wide.Â
To north of the archway, there are two hills on both sides of the Sacred Way, one is Dragon Hill and the other Tiger Hill. It seems like that a dragon and a tiger are guarding the gate to Ming Tombs. This gate is called as "Big Red Gate" which is the main entrance. At each side of the gate, there is a tablet written: "Dignitaries, officials and other persons arriving here must dismount from their horses."
Â
North of the Big Red Gate, there is the stele pavilion. Four Ornamental Pillars stand around the Pavilion. Each Ornamental Pillars is carved 41 dragons and a mythical beast on the top. There are also stone statues, and Dragon-Phoenix Gate to the pavilion's north.