  The royal Chinese mausoleums of the Tang, Ming and Qing Chinese dynasties are
astounding ensables of monuments, conceived and built to assure to the Emperors
immortality in the afterlife and perennial fame on earth. To this aim, a series
of cognitive elements were embodied in the funerary landscapes selected for
such monuments, including astronomy, general topography, and traditional
Chinese geomancy. Taking advantage of satellite imagery, we investigate here on
this issue in a general manner. In particular, we develop and apply a rigorous
approach to investigate if magnetic compass was used in the planning of such
monuments.
