Baiji Han Dynasty Stone Relief Tomb

Baiji Han Dynasty Stone Relief Tomb

The Baiji Han Dynasty Stone Relief Tomb is a protected cultural heritage site of Jiangsu Province.

The Baiji Han Dynasty Stone Relief Tomb is the best-preserved Eastern Han stone relief tomb in the Xuzhou area, featuring carvings on both the shrine and the burial chamber. The tomb is relatively large in scale, with richly detailed stone reliefs and exquisite, superior carving techniques. It holds extremely important reference value for studying the social systems of the Han Dynasty, particularly in exploring the politics, economy, and culture of the Xuzhou region during that period.

This tomb was constructed using the ground-level mound method, featuring a large earthen tumulus on top. The overall structure consists of two parts: the shrine and the burial chamber. The burial chamber is divided into front, middle, and rear sections, with left and right side chambers attached to the middle chamber. The rear chamber is rectangular and partitioned by stone slabs, serving as the area for placing burial objects in a joint burial of husband and wife. The entire burial chamber features a corbelled ceiling.

The tomb’s stone reliefs are carved on the shrine as well as the front, middle, and rear chambers. The imagery is highly diverse, covering themes such as social life, mythology, celestial realms and auspicious symbols, and historical stories. Examples include depictions of real-life scenes like processions of chariots and horses, banquets, board games, and performances; mythological figures such as the jade rabbit grinding medicine, the Heavenly King of the East, the Queen Mother of the West, Fuxi, and Nuwa; and auspicious motifs like rare birds and animals, and lucky trees and grains. These elements collectively recreate the authentic social life of the Han Dynasty, as well as the religious, philosophical, and aesthetic values of the people at that time.

On October 22, 2002, the Baiji Han Dynasty Stone Relief Tomb was designated as part of the fifth batch of protected cultural heritage sites of Jiangsu Province.

Address: Baiji Village, Qingshanquan Town, Jiawang District, Xuzhou City, Jiangsu Province

Qingshanquan Town: Located in the suburbs of Xuzhou City, Qingshanquan Town is a traditional industrial hub. Covering an area of 84 square kilometers with a population of 60,000, it became the first township in northern Jiangsu to achieve a billion-yuan output value in 1985. In 1993, it ranked first among the “Top 50 Comprehensive Strength Townships in Northern Jiangsu,” and in 1995, it was named a “Star of China’s Townships” by the Ministry of Civil Affairs. In March 2001, it was listed as a “National Comprehensive Economic and Social Development Demonstration Town” by the National Development and Reform Commission. In 2004, the town’s GDP reached 1.28 billion yuan, with fiscal revenue of 78.91 million yuan. It is projected that the GDP will reach 1.5… More details about Qingshanquan Town++

Further reading:

· Fifth Batch of Protected Cultural Heritage Sites of Jiangsu Province