Posted by globeseeker007
The best part of my Ming Tomb tour is the walk down Sacred Way which is lined with large statues that are several hundred years old. These are huge statues of lions, camels, elephants, etc, and they are located on both sides of the walkway. It's actually a pleasant place to visit and there weren't many tourists on the day that we were there so it was sort of quite and peaceful.
Posted by LuggsUK
Not worth a separate trip but often incorporated into journey back from Great Wall. The tombs are dull and unimpressive to Westerners (other reviews liken to visiting a bank vault) but the Chinese love this site. You are herded through security then down a long staircase into a crowded dark chamber with a few stone thrones and some large plain red boxes which are the burial caskets. That is it. No treasure or jewels. No intricate carvings. The museum on the surface has some basic info on the Emperors buried here.
By far the best aspect of the place is the walk along the Sacred Way. This is a stroll of half a mile along a wide path lined by large 400 year old stone statues. The statues are interesting and worth lots of photos. Overall I would suggest missing out the tomb visit and just enjoy the stroll down the Sacred Way.