The Mucun Han Dynasty Stone Relief Tomb

The Mucun Han Dynasty Stone Relief Tomb

The Mucun Han Dynasty Stone Relief Tomb is a cultural relics protection unit of Jiangsu Province.

The Mucun Han Dynasty Stone Relief Tomb is located at the eastern foot of Fenghuang Mountain in Mucun Town, Tongshan District. Mucun Town is close to National Highway 104, and several city bus routes provide convenient access. Nearby attractions include the Beidongshan Han Tomb, a national key cultural relics protection unit.

The Mucun Han Dynasty Stone Relief Tomb was built in the fourth year of the Xiping era (175 AD) during the Eastern Han Dynasty under Emperor Ling, though the identity of the tomb’s owner remains to be determined. It faces east and features a nearly 10-meter-long stone-paved passageway guarded by two stone doors. The interior consists of three main chambers—front, middle, and rear—as well as a corridor on the south side and four side chambers on the north. These chambers are interconnected by doorways, with a lattice window set between the middle and rear chambers. The tomb measures 10.4 meters in length from east to west and 6.9 meters in width from north to south, with a maximum height of about 3 meters. The stone walls of the front and middle chambers are adorned with 21 carved stone reliefs depicting scenes such as processions of chariots and horses, exotic birds and animals, human-faced beasts, song and dance performances, acrobatics, and banquets in pavilions—all rendered in low relief with vivid and lifelike detail. These works represent the mature phase of Eastern Han Dynasty stone carvings, showcasing the pinnacle of Xuzhou’s Han relief artistry and highlighting the exceptional skill of folk artisans of the time. It is also one of China’s most intact, representative, and typical Eastern Han Dynasty stone relief tombs, enjoying international renown.

The Mucun Han Dynasty Stone Relief Tomb was first discovered in early 1952 when local villagers quarrying stones for bridge construction uncovered it. At that time, renowned Shandong archaeologist Wang Xiantang, along with experts from the Central Ministry of Culture and the Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, conducted surveys and excavations. No burial objects were found in the tomb—only broken fragments of Song Dynasty bowls, indicating that the tomb had been looted by at least the Song Dynasty. In 1956, it was designated as a provincial-level key cultural relics protection unit. In 1998, the Mucun Town government and the Tongshan County Cultural Bureau jointly invested in the construction of the Mucun Han Dynasty Stone Relief Tomb Exhibition Hall to accommodate visitors.

Jiangsu Provincial-Level Cultural Relics Protection Units, First and Second Batches (Announced in March 1982): Mucun Han Dynasty Stone Relief Tomb, Han Dynasty, Tongshan County

Further Reading:

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