Tomb of Hela Puhua

Tomb of Hela Puhua

The Tomb of Hela Puhua is a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangsu Province.

The tomb’s owner, Hela Puhua, was a prominent Huihu ethnic official during the Yuan Dynasty. This tomb is a rare large-scale burial site of an ancient ethnic minority official in inland China, boasting significant cultural and historical value. Both the epitaph and its cover were created by notable figures of the Yuan Dynasty. However, the original tomb was destroyed long ago. Today, four pairs of standing stone statues of civil and military officials remain in front of the tomb—military officials clad in armor and gripping long swords, while civil officials wear court attire and hold ceremonial tablets. There are also pairs of reclining stone beasts, sheep, and turtles, all with lifelike and vivid designs. The Culture Bureau and villagers of Shazhang jointly invested over 30,000 yuan to rebuild the “Shangshu Pavilion,” effectively protecting the epitaph and its cover of Hela Puhua.

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Jiangsu Province