“Ling” referred to big earth dunes before. Chinese used it to stand for imperial tombs. There are two reasons: to describe the size of the tombs and to show the dignity of feudal emperors. In ancient times, the place where the dead buried was called “fen”(grave), while the earth dun was called “mu”(tomb). It was recorded that during the Shang Dynasty (c.1600-c.1100B.C.) and before, no “mu” was built and no trees were planted in graveyards. It was not until Zhou Dynasty (c.1100-256 B.C.) that “mu” was built and trees were planted in the graveyards of these nobilities. The height of a “mu” depended on the social status possessed by the dead during his life time. During the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476B.C.) The building of “mu” became popular, and the tombs for some nobilities began to be called “ling” (mausoleums). It was said that the “fen” for a marquis of the State of Zhao was the first to be called “ling”. The first emperor of the Qin Dynasty once recruited several hundred thousand laborers to build the mausoleum for him, which was so big that it was called Mount Li. Since the Han Dynasty, all the imperial tombs have been called “ling”. It is well known that in the area of the thirteen noted Ming Tombs in Beiing, a famous place for tourism today, thirteen emperors of the Ming Dynasty were buried.