North of Beijing, where the plain meets the first ridges of the Jundu mountains, thirteen emperors of the Ming dynasty lie buried in a broad valley chosen for its perfect feng shui: mountains behind, a gentle slope, water in front. The first to be buried here was the Yongle emperor, the ruler who moved the capital to Beijing and built the Forbidden City in the early fifteenth century; his tomb, Changling, is the largest and best preserved, with a magnificent hall supported by enormous columns of nanmu wood. UNESCO lists them with the other imperial tombs of the Ming and Qing dynasties.
The approach is along the Sacred Way, a long avenue lined with stone statues of animals, lions, camels, elephants and mythical beasts, some standing and some kneeling, and of military and civil officials, all carved in the fifteenth century to guard the route to the tombs. Walking it under the willows is a peaceful experience, far from the noise of the city. Dingling, the tomb of the Wanli emperor, was excavated in the 1950s, and visitors can descend into the underground palace, a series of vaulted stone chambers. The excavation was a mixed blessing: many of the artefacts were damaged by poor conservation, and during the Cultural Revolution the remains of the emperor and his empresses were destroyed. Since then, no other imperial tombs have been opened.
The landscape is pleasant, with orchards of persimmons and apricots, reservoirs and wooded hills. The Great Wall at Badaling and Mutianyu is not far away, and the roads through the mountains north of the tombs wind through valleys and over passes.
Riding a motorcycle in Beijing, however, is complicated. Foreigners need a Chinese licence and properly registered vehicle, and motorcycles face significant restrictions within the city, particularly bikes with non-Beijing plates. Organised motorcycle tours with local guides and permits are the realistic option for visitors. The roads to the tombs from the city are busy multi-lane highways, while the country roads further north are quieter and more scenic. Changping, six kilometres away, has fuel and all services. Spring and autumn are the best seasons; summer is hot and humid, and winter is cold, dry and windy.