Tomb of Tang Yicen

Tomb of Tang Yicen

The Tomb of Tang Yicen is a Shanghai Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Unit and a patriotic education base.

Tang Yicen, a successful candidate in the imperial examinations from Lingui County, Guangxi Prefecture, was appointed as the magistrate of Chongming County in the 33rd year of the Jiajing reign (1553) during the Ming Dynasty. At that time, Japanese pirates frequently harassed the county seat of Chongming, killing, burning, looting, and causing great suffering to the local people, who harbored deep hatred for them. Upon taking office and learning of these issues, Tang Yicen quickly fortified defenses, trained local militiamen, took a series of proactive measures to guard against pirate attacks, and mobilized and organized both military and civilian forces across the county. He personally led the charge, uniting everyone in resisting repeated invasions by the pirates. Later, due to the collusion between traitors and pirates, the county seat was breached. Enraged, Tang Yicen led soldiers and civilians in street fighting. After killing several pirates, he was wounded while fighting alone and eventually died a martyr due to excessive blood loss.

To honor Tang Yicen’s heroic efforts and ultimate sacrifice in resisting the pirates, Emperor Jiajing of the Ming Dynasty posthumously awarded him the title of Guanglu Temple Assistant Director and conferred the posthumous name “Minzhong” (Sincere Loyalty). A tomb and memorial shrine were constructed in his memory. Initially, both the tomb and the shrine were built at the southwest corner of the old county seat on Pingyangsha. In 1731, they were relocated to a site about 500 meters east of Panlong Town. Due to years of neglect, the site fell into disrepair and was unrecognizable. In 1957, the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Culture listed the Tomb of Tang Yicen as a Second-Class Ancient Tomb and a Provincial-Level Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit. In the same year, the Chongming County Government allocated new funds to renovate the tomb. In 1976, the Tang Yicen Memorial Shrine was demolished due to river dredging. The following year, the Shanghai Municipal Government (by which time Chongming had been designated as a suburban county under Shanghai) classified the Tomb of Tang Yicen as a Fourth-Class Cultural Relics Protection Unit. In 1990, funded by the Shanghai Municipal Government, the tomb was relocated again to the east side of Miaopu Road, along the middle section of Aoshan Road in southeastern Chengqiao Town.

The newly built Tomb of Tang Yicen covers an area of 1,332 square meters, with a tomb platform spanning 144 square meters paved in bluestone. The tomb mound has a diameter of 3 meters and a height of 0.9 meters. In front of the tomb mound stands a stone stele inscribed with “Tomb of Tang Yicen of the Ming Dynasty,” written by Zhao Puchu, then President of the Buddhist Association of China. In front of the stele is a bluestone offering table, and behind the tomb is a screen wall with a covered top. A 20-meter-long, 3-meter-wide bluestone pathway leads up to the tomb platform, flanked by four stone tablets engraved with inscriptions from the Qing Dynasty’s Qianlong and Tongzhi eras, as well as from 1957 and 1990. At the entrance of the pathway, there is also a 6-meter-high granite archway, with a pair of stone lions standing on either side. The tomb site is surrounded by evergreen trees such as pines, boxwoods, and cypresses, presenting a majestic and solemn atmosphere.