The stone stairway
108 steps among the pines.
Suikotei — CC BY-SA 4.0 · xiquinhosilva — CC BY 2.0 · Suikotei — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Gary Lee Todd, Ph.D. — CC0 · Gary Lee Todd, Ph.D. — CC0 · User: (WT-shared) Naplee12 at wts wikivoyage — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Suikotei — CC BY-SA 4.0 · xiquinhosilva — CC BY 2.0
The tomb of Nurhaci, founder of the Later Jin state that became the Qing dynasty, and of his Empress Xiaocigao, known locally as Dongling, the «East Tomb»; it lies among wooded hills some 10 km east of the old city, served as the main site of the imperial family's rites, and UNESCO added it to the World Heritage List in 2004. Visitors enter through a stone archway and the great red gate, walk the spirit way between cloud pillars and stone animals, and climb a stone stairway of 108 steps to the stele pavilion and on to the buildings and walls that ring the tomb among the pines. The tomb ticket costs CNY 40 from April to October and CNY 30 for the rest of the year, plus CNY 10 in season or 8 in winter for the surrounding park, and the site is open from 8 am to 5 pm, per visitor guides.
108 steps among the pines.
Above the tomb walls.
With its cloud pillars.
Hills east of Shenyang, Hunnan District, about 10 km east of the old city
Zhaoling is closer to the centre, larger and set in a big park, while Fuling is quieter among wooded hills east of the city and has the famous 108-step stairway; both are World Heritage sites.