The tombs of 13 emperors of Ming Dynasty are scattered in a small basin in Changping county on the northwest outskirts of Beijing. They are surrounded by hills on the north, east and west sides. Dragon Hill and Tiger Hill guard the tombs on the left and right sides, which conform to fengshui that would always influence ancient emperors in choosing their tombs. From 1409 on, 13 tombs were built there, hence the name of Shisanling. Here are buried 13 emperors, 23 empresses, many concubines of the emperors, crown princes, princesses and maids of honor.

Of the 13 tombs, Changling Tomb at the foot of the central peak of Tianshou Hill is the grandest, and Dingling Tomb at the bottom of Dayu Hill is the most exquisitely built. Excavation of the Dingling Tomb occurred in 1956 and about 3,000 precious artifacts were found in the underground tomb, many of which are refined works of art.

Southeast of the tombs is Ming Tombs Reservoir, and Nine-dragon Entertainment Part is to the south of the reservoir. With its beautiful scenery of verdant pines and cypresses and groves of fruit trees, Ming Tombs scenic area is an ideal tourist resort.

Qinshihuang Mausoleum, Museum of Terracotta Warriors and Horses, situated in Lintong county of Shaanxi province, is the largest imperial mausoleum museum in the world. Known as the "eighth wonder in the world", UNESCO listed them as one of the world cultural heritage sites.

The project of building Qinshihuang Mausoleum began when Qinshihuang ascended to the throne at the age of 13. It took over 700,000 laborers over 36 years to finish the pyramid-like building, which is 515 m long, 485 m wide and 76 m high.

Somewhere 1,500 m to the east of Qinshihuang Mausoleum are three world-famous pits containing terracotta warriors and horses. Displayed in them are thousands of exquisite terracotta warriors and horses forming battle arrays. The life-size warriors and horses face the east, standing in an imposing manner. They demonstrate the dominant power and dignified air of Qinshihuang's troops with a strong artistic appeal. They also epitomize the powerful leadership of Qinshihuang, the first emperor in Chinese history. This is also the representation of the Imperial Guard in Qin Dynasty who would protect the whole mausoleum.