Tomb of Tang Jingchuan

Tomb of Tang Jingchuan

The Tomb of Tang Jingchuan is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Jiangsu Province.

The Tomb of Tang Jingchuan is located to the west of Tangjia Village in Yonghong Township, in the southwestern suburbs of Changzhou, approximately 1.5 kilometers from the city center.

Tang Jingchuan, whose given name was Shunzhi and courtesy name Yingde (he was commonly known by his courtesy name), ranked first in the metropolitan examination in the eighth year of the Jiajing reign during the Ming Dynasty (1529). He entered the Hanlin Academy and was later appointed as an official in the Ministry of War. Together with Wang Shenzhong and Gui Youguang, he was known as one of the “Three Great Masters of the Jiajing Era.” Along with Song Lian, Fang Xiaoru, and Wang Yangming, they were also referred to as the “Six Great Masters of the Ming Dynasty.” He authored works such as the “Collected Poems and Essays of Master Jingchuan.” In the thirty-seventh year of the Jiajing reign (1558), when Japanese pirates invaded China’s southeastern coastal areas, Tang, serving as an assistant director in the Ministry of War, led naval forces to resist the invaders. He fought bravely and achieved remarkable military successes, which led to his promotion to the position of Censor-in-Chief of the Right and acting governor of Fengyang. Later, while still ill, he traveled to take up his post in Taizhou but passed away en route.

The original site of the Tomb of Tang Jingchuan covered an area of 12 mu. It was renovated through public fundraising in 1934. During the Anti-Japanese War, after the occupation of Changzhou, the Japanese invaders—recognizing Tang as a national hero who fought against the pirates—burned down his study building, tomb tablets, trees, and other structures. During the Cultural Revolution, the tomb was further damaged. In April 1980, the site was largely restored. The current tomb area spans 9 mu, measuring 120 meters in length from east to west and 45 meters in width from north to south. At the western entrance stands the “Yixie Bridge,” beyond which lies the Spirit Way Gate. The original wooden upturned eaves are now missing, and the gate is inscribed with the engraved regular script: “Spirit Way of the Venerable Master Tang Jingchuan.” About ten meters to the left and right of the stone gate stand stone memorial pillars. The spirit way extends over 80 meters in length, flanked on both sides by pairs of stone sheep, stone horses, stone beasts, and stone statues of officials. Further back lies the burial area, enclosed on three sides by earthen mounds. In front of the tomb is a 2.6-meter-high, 1-meter-wide stele inscribed with the following engraved regular script: “Tomb of Master Tang Jingchuan of Jingchuan, Posthumously Awarded the Title of Vice Minister of War, Honored with the Posthumous Name Xiangwen, Donated by the Ming Dynasty.” This inscription was written in September of the first year of the Jiaqing reign (1796) by Li Qinglai.

Approximately 100 meters southwest of the tomb site, in Taoyuan Village, there once stood the “Chendu Thatched Cottage,” where Tang Jingchuan studied. It covered an area of about 5 mu and included structures such as the “Nenyun Pavilion,” “Wuyan Tower,” “Chunchi Hall,” and “Yaxi Pavilion.” On the eastern wall of the Wuyan Tower, there was also an inscribed stone tablet reading “Study Place of Master Tang Jingchuan,” written by Sun Shenxing. All these structures were burned down by the Japanese invaders during the Anti-Japanese War. The original site of the study place has since been replaced by farmhouses. However, two engraved stone gate plaques remain: one at the eastern entrance inscribed with the regular script “Study Place of Master Tang Jingchuan,” and another at the western side inscribed with the seal script “Study Place of the Venerable Master Tang Jingchuan.”

Further Reading:

· First and Second Batches of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units