General's Tomb in Micanggou

General's Tomb in Micanggou

The General's Tomb in Micanggou is a cultural heritage site protected by Liaoning Province.

The General's Tomb is located on a hill about 500 meters north of Micanggou Village, Yahu Township, Huanren, and has a history of over 1,500 years.

The General's Tomb is a large earthen burial mound with a stone chamber tomb. It was originally shaped like a truncated square pyramid, resembling an inverted bucket. Over time, erosion by rain and water has softened its edges, gradually giving it a more rounded, mound-like appearance. The earthen covering is 8 meters high, with a circumference of 150 meters and a diameter of 45 meters. The tomb consists of a passageway, side chambers, and the main burial chamber, oriented 15 degrees northwest. On both sides of the passageway are a southern side chamber and a northern side chamber. The eastern end of the passageway is the tomb door, which has a lintel above and a threshold below, with two stone-carved doors that have long since fallen. Beyond the entrance lies a spacious burial chamber. The chamber has a square floor plan, with each side measuring 3.5 meters and a height of 3.5 meters. The ceiling features four layers of stepped corbel arches forming an inverted square pyramid shape. The floor is neatly paved with large stone slabs. There are two stone coffin platforms laid out from north to south, both made from single pieces of granite.

The four walls of the burial chamber, the stepped corbel beams, the ceiling, and the side chambers are all painted with murals. These murals were painted on a thin layer of white plaster applied to the tomb walls. The four walls of the chamber are adorned with lotus patterns. Each lotus is depicted in side view, with nine petals—five outlined in red, and the other four formed with ink lines between each pair of petals, creating pointed extensions. The red and black colors alternate in an orderly fashion. Below each lotus, an ink-drawn “I”-shaped pedestal completes the image. The eastern wall has five rows of lotuses, with 11 lotuses per row, totaling 55. The northern and southern walls each have five rows with 12 lotuses per row, totaling 60 lotuses each. The western wall, divided by the passageway, also features several lotus designs.

Dragon motifs are painted along the upper parts of the four walls and around the doorway, set against a red background with black outlines. The dragons appear in pairs, their bodies arched, necks intertwined, heads lowered, and claws extended. Between the bodies of the two dragons is a drum-shaped pattern symbolizing good fortune.

Frog-shaped bud motifs are painted on the front face of the first stepped corbel beam. Resembling unopened lotus buds, they feature three layers of green sepals curving downward, with stems extending sideways on either side and intertwining. Though depicted as buds, their overall form resembles a frog.

“Wang” character cloud patterns are painted on the walls and ceilings of the side chambers. Twisting cloud motifs enclose the Chinese character “王” (meaning “king”), arranged continuously across the surface like a dazzling piece of brocade.

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Cultural Heritage Sites Protected by Liaoning Province