English: The area in the Ming (western) part of the Cemetery of Confucius where the ten Dukes of Yansheng, who were the leaders of the Kong clan (55th through 64th generation in the direct line of descent from Confucius) and the feudal rulers of Qufu, have been buried. Each of the ten dukes appears to have his own "spirit road" (shendao), i.e. a a path lined with the statues of feline creatures (cat? lions? tigers?), rams, horses, warriors and officials, concluded with a stele-bearing bixi tortoise, and, finally, the actual tombstone. As elsewhere in China, the tombstones and the bixi normally face south, while the spirit way figures face each other, looking across the path that runs from the south to the north.

English: A turtle-borne stele for a 61st generation direct descendant of Confucius. The stele is dated 12 Chenghua, 12th month, 22nd day, which would be around January 1476 AD.