Lion Mountain Chu King Tomb

Lion Mountain Chu King Tomb

The Lion Mountain Chu King Tomb is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction and a cultural tourism site.

The Chu King Tomb is the burial site of Liu Wu, the third-generation Chu King enfeoffed in Xuzhou during the early Western Han Dynasty. It is located on Lion Mountain along the Third Ring Road in Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, eastern China. Over four thousand terracotta warriors were important funerary objects in the tomb, discovered in 1984. A decade later, the main tomb—the Chu King Tomb—was excavated. The Chu King Tomb is located on the southern foothills of Lion Mountain in the eastern suburbs of Xuzhou. It was carved out of the mountain rock, with chambers hollowed from the mountain itself, extending over a hundred meters deep into the mountain’s core. Its grand scale, majestic atmosphere, and unique architectural structure are truly breathtaking, causing a sensation both domestically and internationally. Over two thousand pieces (sets) of precious cultural relics were unearthed from the tomb, including items made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, jade, stone, and pottery. Among them are exquisite artworks rarely seen, such as the carved dragon jade huang, string-patterned jade ring, carved floral jade vessel, chi tiger-patterned jade ornament, jade-inlaid lacquered coffin, and bronze flat pot—all of which were first discoveries in Chinese archaeology. Notably, based on the remains of the Chu King’s bones found in the tomb, scientists successfully reconstructed the appearance of a Chu King from 2,100 years ago for the first time.

• Witness the magnificent interior structure of the Lion Mountain Chu King Tomb, where a jade burial suit sewn with gold thread and a jade-inlaid coffin were unearthed.

Attraction Introduction

The Lion Mountain Chu King Tomb is located 4 kilometers east of downtown Xuzhou and is the most essential highlight within the Han Culture Scenic Area. Lion Mountain, with an elevation of 54.3 meters, has been largely hollowed out, showcasing the tomb’s grandeur. Various clues suggest that the tomb was never fully completed, and the identity of the tomb owner remains somewhat mysterious—it is possibly Liu Wu, the third-generation Chu King of the Western Han Dynasty (though this is still debated). After being defeated in the Rebellion of the Seven States, he committed suicide to avoid implicating his family and was buried hastily. If you are a fan of Han culture or tomb exploration, this is a must-visit site.

Entering from the south gate of the Han Culture Scenic Area, you will find the Lion Mountain Chu King Tomb, with a statue of the Chu King riding a warhorse erected in front. The tomb runs from north to south. Upon entering, you first see the outer tomb passage in the southern part, which is 27.6 meters long and slightly more spacious than the passages behind. Descending the steps continuously, you reach the middle tomb passage where the walls on both sides suddenly narrow, forming a “slit of sky.” The middle tomb passage is 20.3 meters long, and on the eastern side, there is a burial chamber of a close minister who served the Chu King’s meals.

Continuing northward is the inner tomb passage, 19.3 meters long, with a shaft above leading to the mountain top. This is how the craftsmen entered to build the Chu King Tomb. There are three side chambers on both sides of the inner tomb passage: the eastern side chamber is the kitchen, with two doors, making it the largest chamber, where replicas of ancient cooking utensils can be seen; the southwestern side chamber is the imperial storage for ritual vessels and weapons, where exquisitely crafted gold belt buckles were unearthed; the northwestern side chamber is another imperial storage for bathing utensils.

Further ahead, you will see the main tomb door, which was sealed with 16 blocking stones to prevent tomb robbery. Although the three previous side chambers were spared, the other chambers behind the main tomb door were looted. It is speculated that this was a large-scale official robbery during the usurpation of the throne by Wang Mang (around 8 AD). Behind the main tomb door is the corridor leading to the main burial chamber, 33.8 meters long, with six side chambers on both sides, including a treasury, an imperial storage for daily utensils, an imperial seal treasury for the Chu Kingdom’s official seals and gold artifacts, and a burial chamber for concubines.

At the end of the corridor is the front hall, or the main burial chamber. On the eastern side was originally placed a very rare jade-inlaid coffin. During the excavation of the Chu King Tomb, a jade burial suit sewn with gold thread was found in the main burial chamber, made from over 4,000 high-quality Hetian jade pieces. Unfortunately, the gold threads had been stolen by tomb robbers. Of course, the coffins and jade burial suits seen in the tomb today are replicas.

Finally, you will reach the northernmost rear chamber. Be sure to observe the rough carving marks here, which are strong evidence that the tomb was not fully completed. In the center of the rear chamber stands a statue of the Chu King, reconstructed based on the remains of his bones. On both sides are placed replicas of the bianzhong (chime bells) and bianqing (chime stones) unearthed here, which are speculated to have been part of a music and dance hall.

After visiting the Lion Mountain Chu King Tomb, you can also explore the Han Terracotta Warriors Museum, the Underwater Terracotta Warriors Museum, and the Han Painting Corridor within the Han Culture Scenic Area, together known as the “Three Wonders of the Two Hans.” Since the artifacts in the Lion Mountain Chu King Tomb are replicas and you want to see more, you can visit the Xuzhou Museum, where many genuine relics from the tombs are displayed.

Special Tips

A guide is highly recommended for the Lion Mountain Chu King Tomb, as it’s easy to miss the significance without one. Guides are available at the south gate of the Han Culture Scenic Area for a fee of 60 RMB per tour, covering the Lion Mountain Chu King Tomb, Han Terracotta Warriors Museum, Underwater Terracotta Warriors Museum, and Han Painting Corridor.

Address: No. 1 Terracotta Warriors Road, Yunlong District, Xuzhou City

Type: Mausoleum/Cemetery

Rating: AAAA

Recommended Visit Duration: 1–2 hours

Phone: 0516-83566263; 0516-83167053

Official Website: http://www.hwhjq.com/

Opening Hours:

Summer (daily): 8:30–17:00; Winter (daily): 8:30–16:30

Ticket Information:

No separate ticket required. Included in the Han Culture Scenic Area ticket, adult price 90 RMB.