Sacred Way (Shen Dao) is 7 kilometers long, the longest in China's royal tombs, from south to north across the center of the tombs area. It was thought to have leaded the emperors' souls to enter heaven. It was a path built as a part of the tomb for the Ming emperors, connecting the entrance with real tomb. It was built for the first tomb Changling - the tomb of Emperor Yongle at first, the most powerful emperor in the Ming dynasty. But as the later tombs were built either to the right or to the left, it became the main road to all of them. It is a long, straight path flanked by statues first of ancient government officials and then by animals. The Sacred Way ends at a pavilion sheltering a stone tablet. They formed one group, but each tomb is independent of the other. Each locates at the foot of a hill.