Stone Coffin Tombs in the Upper reaches of the Huifa River

Stone Coffin Tombs in the Upper Reaches of the Huifa River

The stone coffin tombs in the upper reaches of the Huifa River are designated as a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The stone coffin tombs in the upper reaches of the Huifa River are situated in Meihekou City and Liuhe County along the upper Huifa River in Tonghua City, Jilin Province. The Huifa River is one of the main tributaries in the middle and upper reaches of the Second Songhua River Basin, primarily flowing through southern Jilin Province and eastern Liaoning Province. In the two main tributary basins of the upper Huifa River — the Yitong River and the Santong River — numerous stone coffin tombs are distributed, which currently fall under the administrative jurisdictions of Meihekou City and Liuhe County in the Tonghua region.

In the upper reaches of the Huifa River in Jilin Province, over 80 stone coffin tombs have been discovered to date. These tombs are mostly located on hilltops or ridges at elevations of 500 to 600 meters within the Hadaling Mountain Range. The stones used to construct the stone coffin tombs are mainly conglomerate, argillaceous shale, and gneiss, which are processed into relatively regular rectangular or square slabs. The tombs are generally rectangular, with the slabs erected half-buried and half-exposed to form the four walls of the burial chamber. The side wall slabs often consist of a single long slab, though some are joined by two slabs, and a few even feature double-layered side walls. The top is sealed with large stone slabs, leaving wide eaves exposed around the edges, while the bottom is paved with base stones. To enhance sturdiness, some side wall slabs have symmetrical grooves carved into their lower parts or ends to accommodate the base or end stones. A few stone coffin tombs are surrounded by retaining stones. Some also feature upright stone slabs on both sides of the entrance, forming a passageway, which gives the entire tomb structure a more rigorous and stable appearance. The sizes of the stone coffin tombs vary, typically standing 1 to 1.3 meters above the ground, with the tallest reaching about 2 meters. Human bones have been found in some tombs, some of which show signs of burning. Burial objects include pottery items such as pottery jars and spinning whorls.

In some burial sites, stone coffin tombs coexist with large capstone graves and a small number of stone coffin burials. Bronze Age ruins have been discovered near the stone coffin tombs, with unearthed artifacts closely resembling those from the stone coffin tombs, suggesting that the stone coffin tombs generally date back to the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods.

The cluster of stone coffin tombs in the upper reaches of the Huifa River is one of the most densely distributed areas of such tombs in China and even Northeast Asia. It also represents the northernmost boundary of stone coffin tomb distribution in Northeast Asia, making it extremely significant for the study of this widely distributed type of tomb in the region. Furthermore, it serves as one of the best examples reflecting ethnic relations and cultural integration in Northeast Asia.

In May 2006, the stone coffin tombs in the upper reaches of the Huifa River were approved by the State Council as part of the sixth group of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units, recognized as ancient tombs from the Zhou Dynasty.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units