Tomb of the Jin Prince

Tomb of the Jin Prince

The Tomb of the Jin Prince is a cultural tourism attraction.

Tomb of the Jin Prince

In the fifth year of the Tianqing era of the Liao Dynasty (1115 AD), Prince Yung Mongol of the Great Jin Kingdom, under imperial orders, led attendants northward on a tour to inspect the regions and pacify the borderland populace. Upon arriving at what is now the Laha Mountain area within Lanxi County, the prince paused, gazed out at the blue skies, white clouds, and picturesque green fields, and repeatedly exclaimed in admiration, “What a feng shui treasure land!” He ordered his men to dismount and rest, lingering for a long time as he admired the view, utterly enchanted. As the prince continued northward, nowhere did the scenery compare to the beautiful charm along the Huilan River.

Later, due to years of strenuous travel, the prince fell gravely ill from overwork and became seriously sick while in the present-day Greater Khingan Mountains area. He hastily made his way back toward the Shangjing Huining Prefecture (present-day Acheng District). On his deathbed, the prince told his attendants, “Make me a fine coffin, lock it with iron chains, and transport it to the Laha Mountain ridge. Where the iron chains break, there shall I be laid to rest.” With those words, the prince passed away.

In accordance with the prince’s final wishes, the attendants secured the coffin with iron chains and began carrying it southward. When they reached the southern hillside where the prince had once dismounted to rest, strangely enough, the iron chains binding the coffin suddenly snapped with a loud “clang,” breaking cleanly all at once. The attendants followed the prince’s will, constructing a tomb on the spot where they buried the prince, the broken chains, and even the large iron hammer used to secure the coffin. It is said that the prince loved the beautiful landscape here and chose to remain, ensuring peace, prosperity, and abundant life for the land and its people.

The remains of the third prince of the Great Jin Kingdom have lain here for nearly a thousand years. According to elders, a hundred years ago, a group of Mongolians came to offer incense, tend the graves, and fill in the earth, planting many flowers and trees on the mountain. Legend has it that the tomb holds many precious burial artifacts and even hidden mechanisms.

In the sixth year of the puppet regime’s Kangde era (1939 AD), the Japanese forced local farmers to dig up the tomb in search of treasures. After digging about ten feet down, they only managed to unearth a few blue bricks and some weapons. But the Japanese wanted to dig further. That night, they were all crowded into huts at the foot of the mountain. Just as the lights were put out, a strong gust of wind blew in through the door crack—and every one of them was slapped hard with shoe soles, with the Japanese getting the worst of it. The next day, the farmers warned that there were land mines around the prince’s tomb, and the Japanese finally stopped the excavation.

As time passed and the world changed dramatically, the prince still rests peacefully amidst the green mountains and clear waters...

In the summer of 1979, more than ten strong men from Chejiawopu in Lanxi Town, Lanxi County, skeptical of the legends, cut down the trees and dug two wide trenches—one meter wide and five meters long—hoping to find treasures. After working day and night for two days, they still came up empty-handed.

In the spring of 2005, Mr. Bai Juncui, chairman of Heilongjiang Nanshan Fortune Water Conservancy Engineering Co., Ltd., resolutely purchased this southern mountain area and carried out large-scale renovations of the prince’s tomb, establishing the Tomb of the Jin Prince Memorial Park. At the entrance stands an ornamental archway flanked by hanging towers on either side.

Passing through the archway, there is a wide, straight Spirit Way lined on both the north and south sides with nine pairs of sacred beasts: Qilin (also called Qilin), leopard, Suanni (also called Suan Ni), Pixiu, Pi (also called Pi), Xie (also called Xie) sheep, horse, and tiger. These represent various guardian beasts of the tomb, symbolizing harmony, peace, wealth, power, bravery, justice, exorcism, and the elimination of harm. Majestically animated and uniquely expressive, they stand guard here.

Today, the prince’s tomb is grand and solemn, often visited for worship. Many tourists come specifically to explore the ancient site. Gazing at the distant sunset and evening glow, one can almost envision the valiant prince patrolling the mountains and inspecting the defenses, recalling the long-buried legends of ages past.

Address: Located on the eastern slope of Laha Mountain in Lanxi County