Guishan Han Tomb

Guishan Han Tomb

The Guishan Han Tomb is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

Attraction Level: 3A

Attraction Introduction: The Guishan Han Tomb is located on the western foothills of Guishan Mountain within the Jiuli Mountain Economic Development Zone in Xuzhou City. It is the joint burial tomb of Liu Zhu, the sixth-generation King of Chu (King Xiang) of the Western Han Dynasty (reigned 128 BC – 116 BC), and his wife.

The tomb is built into the mountain and entirely hand-carved. To the south is the tomb of King Liu Zhu, and to the north is that of his wife; both are cross-shaped cave tombs. The tomb entrances are on the western side of Guishan Mountain, shaped like a trumpet, with two passages running north and south. Each passage is 56 meters long, 1.78 meters high, and 1.06 meters wide. The maximum deviation along the central axis is only 5 millimeters, achieving a precision of 1/10,000. The distance between the two passages is 19 meters, with an angle of 20 arcseconds and an error of 1/16,000, making them the most precisely carved passages in the world to date. Both passages are sealed by 26 blocking stones, arranged in two layers of 13 stones each, with each stone weighing 6–7 tons. There are fifteen chambers in the tomb, all hand-carved, interconnected, varying in size, with clear primary and secondary sections. The tomb stretches 83 meters from east to west and 33 meters from north to south, covering a total area of over 700 square meters and a volume of more than 2,600 cubic meters.

This tomb project is massive, exquisitely carved, and radiates the bold and unrestrained spirit of the Chu-Han era. Its majestic presence embodies the extraordinary wisdom and masterful craftsmanship of Han artisans, making it a rare wonder in the world, acclaimed as “a unique marvel of China” and “a wonder through the ages.”

Tomb No. 1 is a vertical shaft tomb, measuring 3.4 meters east-west, 2.2 meters north-south, and 9 meters deep. On the eastern and southern sides of the bottom are flat-roofed chambers, each 2–3 meters wide and 1.6–1.8 meters high. The chambers are separated from the shaft by stone slabs. The eastern chamber was used for placing the coffin, which has now decayed. Burial objects were mainly placed in the southern chamber, including a rich variety of items made of bronze, iron, gold, pottery, jade, lacquerware, and more, mostly large vessels such as pottery tripods, bronze pots, bronze lamps, bronze spoons, gilded bronze incense burners, pottery pots, and pottery fang vessels. Inside the coffin in the eastern chamber, items such as bi discs, jade rings, pendants, belt hooks, iron swords, and bronze mirrors were found. Many bronze items bear inscriptions such as “Imperial Food Officer,” “Queen’s Household Officer,” “Chu Private Official,” and “Lady Bingchang.” Some inscriptions also indicate the weight and capacity of the objects. This tomb is believed to be a companion tomb to Tomb No. 2.

Tomb No. 2 is larger in scale, with the couple buried in separate but connected chambers. The tomb passage is located to the west, oriented at 270 degrees. The entire structure consists of two parallel passages and corridors, with 14 chambers. It stretches 83 meters from east to west and 35 meters from north to south, covering a total area of nearly 600 square meters. The tomb passages are trumpet-shaped, each 10.5 meters long, carved at the foot of the mountain, with the eastern end leading directly into the corridor. The corridors are carved inside the mountain, each 56 meters long, 1.06 meters wide, and 1.72 meters high. The corridors are spaced 20 meters apart, each sealed by two rectangular blocking stones stacked vertically. The stones measure 2.08–2.48 meters long, 0.8–1.04 meters wide, and 0.87–1.02 meters high, with six flat surfaces. Of the 14 chambers, three are located on the corridor, while the rest are at the eastern end. The northern tomb has five chambers, with one located in the middle southern part of the corridor and the rest at the eastern end. The main chamber consists of three sections: front, middle, and back. The front chamber opens to a side chamber on the north with an arched roof, designated for the female burial. The southern tomb has nine chambers, with one in the middle southern part of the corridor, another near the northern end close to the corridor, and the rest at the eastern end. They are arranged in three rows from east to west. The main chamber is flanked by three sections: front, middle, and back, with a double-sloped roof. The chambers vary in size, with larger ones featuring central pillars and smaller ones surrounding them. The layout is well-coordinated, with all chambers interconnected via doors. Fragments of plain and plank tiles were found in the chambers, suggesting the original presence of wooden structures, now collapsed. The chambers and corridors have a relatively intact drainage system. Due to looting, only remnants such as pottery qilin hoof-shaped gold ingots, pottery bi discs, a small number of pottery items, pottery figurines, pottery horses, bronze spears, bronze ornaments, and bronze “wu zhu” coins remain. A silver turtle-shaped seal engraved with the name “Liu Zhu” was unearthed, confirming that this tomb belonged to the sixth-generation King of Chu of the Western Han Dynasty. Historical records indicate that Liu Zhu died in the second year of Emperor Wu’s Yuanding era (115 BC), which is considered the time of the tomb’s construction.

Transportation: Take bus routes 13, 21, or 37 to Guishan Han Tomb Station.

Opening Hours: 08:00–17:30

Address: No. 3, Xiangwang North Road, Jiuli District, Xuzhou City, Jiangsu Province

Type: Cemetery/Tomb

Grade: AAAA

Recommended Visiting Time: 1–2 hours

Phone: 0516-85770107

Opening Hours:

8:30-17:30

Ticket Information:

No separate ticket required. Included in the 80 RMB Guishan Scenic Area ticket.