Zhang Zuolin’s Tomb

Zhang Zuolin’s Tomb

Zhang Zuolin’s Tomb is a cultural tourism attraction.

In Yimafang, a small village located eight li east of Shishan Town in Linghai City, nestled within a large fruit orchard at the western end of the village lies a sizable tomb complex. It is here that “the Old Marshal of the Northeast,” the once-formidable warlord Zhang Zuolin, was laid to rest.

Stepping into Zhang Zuolin’s Tomb, you’ll see two identical, exquisitely carved stone pillars standing 24 meters east of the western gate, each inscribed with a matching couplet: “Auspicious signs for a thousand autumns open at the courier’s post; filial piety through a hundred generations revered as the crow.” About 24 meters east of the gate stand two large matching stone steles of uniform design and craftsmanship, both featuring nine-dragon openwork carvings. The southern stele is an imperial edict plaque bestowed upon Zhang Zuolin’s mother by Emperor Puyi on November 19, 1910, during the second year of the Xuantong reign. The northern stele is a memorial monument erected by Zhang Zuolin himself in November 1916, the fifth year of the Republic of China, in honor of his mother. The tomb complex is enclosed by a beautiful green brick floral wall. A 64-meter-long green brick pathway leads from the entrance gate to the tombs, flanked by roadside stone curbs. The two burial mounds are made of cement and designed in a circular arch style—one is the tomb of Zhang’s mother, Madam Wang, and the other is the joint tomb of Zhang Zuolin and his wife, Madam Zhao.

Historical records indicate that in the early years of the Republic of China, Zhang Zuolin planned to relocate the Zhang family cemetery from Haicheng County to another location. He entrusted his brother-in-law Wu Yong’en with selecting a new site and constructing the tomb. After Wu, accompanied by a renowned feng shui master, identified this location west of Yimafang Village in Jinxian County (now Linghai City), Zhang Zuolin funded the purchase of 40 hectares of surrounding land, and Wu oversaw the establishment of the Zhang family graveyard. In 1913, the second year of the Republic, Zhang Zuolin had his mother’s remains transferred from Heishan County to be interred here as the primary grave, followed later by the reburial of his wife, Madam Zhao (Zhang Xueliang’s birth mother). The cemetery covered approximately 15 mu of land, surrounded by five or six hectares of fruit trees, with the rest being arable fields. Wu Yong’en, also following Zhang’s request, relocated here to manage the graveyard and land holdings for the Zhang family.

In the early years of the Republic, when Zhang Zuolin was just beginning to rise in prominence, he made only modest constructions at the cemetery, giving it a basic structure. However, as he advanced from brigade commander to military governor and then to provincial governor—attaining considerable official prestige—he attributed his success to the spiritual influence of the cemetery. As a result, he invested heavily in landscaping and beautifying the site to create a more imposing and respectful appearance. The cemetery was enclosed with a floral wall, and a memorial archway and pavilion were erected at the front gate. Two thick stone pillars topped with carved stone lions were placed at the entrance, while two massive commemorative steles were erected in front of the tombs, their inscriptions clear and elegant, commemorating deeds and virtues.

Later, after Zhang Zuolin achieved greater success—rising from “the Old Marshal of the Northeast” to become the Grand Marshal of the Army, Navy, and Air Force of the Republic of China—he envisioned building an even grander mausoleum. He selected a site near Zhangdang in Fushun, a location endowed with beautiful scenery, majestic mountains, and flowing water, and renowned for its exceptional terrain. Following the tradition of emperors constructing their imperial tombs upon ascending the throne, he initiated the construction of Yuan Shuai Lin (Marshal’s Forest). Modeled after the Imperial Tomb of the North, he had 62 stone artifacts—including stone horses, stone lions, and stone statues of officials (Wengzhong)—transported from the Long’en Temple on Shijingshan in Beijing’s Western Hills, as well as from the tombs of Nurhaci (the founding emperor of the Qing Dynasty) and his seventh son, Abatai. The architectural scale was grand and majestic, intended to serve as his final resting place.

On June 4, 1928, Zhang Zuolin was forced to retreat from Beiping to Fengtian and was assassinated by the Japanese in Huanggutun. His coffin was temporarily placed at Zhulin Temple in Dongguan, Shenyang, awaiting eventual burial in Yuan Shuai Lin once it was completed. However, after the September 18 Incident, when Japanese forces invaded Shenyang, construction on Yuan Shuai Lin was halted, leaving Zhang Zuolin’s burial there unrealized.

On the eve of the Xi’an Incident, Wu Yong’en’s son, Wu Tingkui, accompanied Zhang Xueliang in Xi’an. Zhang Xueliang instructed him to return to Shenyang promptly to bury the marshal’s coffin in the Yimafang cemetery and to take responsibility for maintaining the Zhang family tombs. Upon returning, Wu Tingkui, along with former members of the Zhang family, engaged in extensive negotiations with the Japanese puppet authorities and the puppet Manchukuo Concordia Association. In 1937, Wu Tingkui and the son of Zhang Zuolin’s sister, dressed in mourning, accompanied the coffin as it was transported by train from Shenyang to Yangquanzi Station and then carried on foot to the Yimafang cemetery, where Zhang Zuolin was laid to rest alongside his wife, Madam Zhao. At the time, Wu Yong’en, Zhang Zuolin’s brother-in-law, presided over the solemn welcoming and burial ceremony. The event garnered significant attention, with reports on it published in the puppet press. Thereafter, Wu Tingkui continued to oversee the maintenance of the Zhang family graves.

Over the decades that followed—through the War of Resistance against Japan, the Liberation War, the land reforms of the early years of the People’s Republic, and the Cultural Revolution—as well as enduring natural erosion from wind and rain, the cemetery fell into disrepair. Overgrown with weeds and desolate, only the two steles remained standing, while the rest of the structures collapsed and were destroyed.

After the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee, Zhang Zuolin’s Tomb also benefited from the winds of reform and opening-up. In August 1984, the People’s Government of Jinzhou City designated the Zhang Zuolin Tomb site as a key cultural relic protection unit and erected a granite sign in the cemetery, inscribed with the characters “Zhang Zuolin’s Tomb” in the style of Wei stele script.

After 1985, the governments of Liaoning Province and Jinzhou City allocated funds three times, tasking the United Front Work Department of Jin County Party Committee and relevant departments with overseeing restoration efforts. Following three rounds of repairs, the Zhang family cemetery took on an increasingly solemn and dignified appearance.

News of the local government’s extensive restoration of Zhang Zuolin’s Tomb soon spread both domestically and abroad, attracting former members of the Zhang camp as well as descendants of the Zhang family from overseas. In July 1986, four elderly gentlemen—former subordinates of General Zhang Xueliang named Jing Youran, Hu Zhen, Hui Dean, and Zheng Dianqi—traveled specifically to Yimafang Village in Shishan Town to pay respects at the Zhang family tomb. On October 2, 1986, Zhang Xueliang’s niece, Ms. Zhang Lüheng, and nephew, Mr. Zhang Tongguang, along with his wife, traveled from Hong Kong and Brazil, respectively, to honor their ancestors. In May 1987, Zhang Xueliang’s cousin, Zhang Xuewen, accompanied by his wife, Wang Wenrui, their children, and Zhang Xuesi’s wife Xie Xueping (a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference), also visited the tomb site. The descendants of the Zhang family expressed deep gratitude for the local government’s restoration efforts. According to sources, in the 1990s, the Young Marshal Zhang Xueliang had also planned to return to China to visit the graves but was unable to do so due to unforeseen circumstances. Now that the Young Marshal has passed away, the opportunity has become a lifelong regret.

Zhang Zuolin (1875–1928), courtesy name Yuting, was born in Xiaowaotun, Xijiaocun, Majia Village, Jiangzhang Temple Township, Haicheng County, Fengtian Province (now Dongfeng Town, Dawan County, Panjin City, Liaoning Province). He served as the Grand Marshal of the Army and Navy of the Republic of China and was commonly known as “Marshal Zhang.” He was the father of Zhang Xueliang.

Born on March 19, 1875, during the first year of the Guangxu reign in the Qing Dynasty. In his youth, he attended a private school under the tutelage of Yang Jingzhen.

In 1894, during the First Sino-Japanese War, he enlisted in Song Qing’s army in Yingkou. He once served as a guard for Song Qing.

In March 1895, during the First Sino-Japanese… Zhang Zuolin’s detailed information++