<P> A 7 - kilometer ( 4 mi ) road named the `` Spirit Way '' ( pinyin : Shéndào ) leads into the complex , lined with statues of guardian animals and officials , with a front gate consisting of a three - arches , painted red , and called the `` Great Red Gate '' . The Spirit Way , or Sacred Way , starts with a huge stone memorial archway lying at the front of the area . Constructed in 1540 , during the Ming dynasty , this archway is one of the biggest stone archways in China today . </P>
the road that connects the tombs is called
`` Spirit Way ''