Tomb of Zhao Boxian

Tomb of Zhao Boxian

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

The Tomb of Zhao Boxian is located east of Zhulin Temple on Jiashan Mountain in the southern suburbs of Zhenjiang.

Zhao Boxian (Zhao Sheng), originally from Dagang Town in Dantu County, came from an educated and scholarly family. In his early years, he followed Dr. Sun Yat-sen in the struggle to overthrow the Qing Dynasty and was one of the key leaders of the Tongmenghui. On March 29, 1911, Zhao Sheng and Huang Xing led the armed uprising in Guangzhou (known as the Huanghuagang Uprising), where Zhao served as the overall commander. After the uprising failed, he fell ill due to worry and indignation, and passed away in Hong Kong on April 20 at the age of 31. He was initially buried at the peak of a hill near Cafi Park in Hong Kong, with the tomb inscribed as “Tomb of the Owner of Tianxiang Pavilion.” In 1912, to honor Zhao Sheng’s contributions, the Nanjing Provisional Government posthumously awarded him the title of General, and on April 1 of the same year, his remains were moved and reburied at the current site.

The original Zhao Boxian Tomb faced south with its back to the north. On either side of the tomb gate stood a pair of carved circular stone pillars, topped with seated lions. In front were a stone offering table, steps, and a tomb path. Two carved circular water basins were placed on either side in front of the steps. One hundred and ten meters in front of the tomb was a stone memorial archway, inscribed with the characters “Eternal Heroic Spirit.” The square stone pillars bore couplets such as “A mighty hand splits open a new world, an undaunted will restores the old rivers and mountains,” and “The winding path through green bamboo, with its steadfast joints, resembles the virtue of a nobleman; the misty Huanghuagang Hill, where loyal spirits linger, is a place familiar to visiting friends.” At the center in front of the tomb stood a large stone stele inscribed with “Tomb of the Great Martyr Zhao Boxian of Dantu.” Thirty-three meters in front of the archway, there were three small stone arch bridges over a ditch. From 1926 to 1931, a pavilion was constructed on a knoll within a pond 330 meters in front of the tomb, featuring a stone statue of Zhao Sheng in military uniform riding a horse. Prior to the War of Resistance Against Japan, further expansions were planned but halted due to the outbreak of war. The archway and tomb were damaged during the Cultural Revolution. In 1981, prior to the 70th anniversary of the Xinhai Revolution, the state allocated funds and the cultural relics management department carried out major restoration work.

The tomb area spans 330 meters in length and 96 meters in width. The burial mound is built upon a circular platform, with a circumference of 34 meters and a diameter of 9.8 meters. It is constructed from over 130 curved granite slabs in four layers, forming the protective walls. The top features an earthen mound, with a total height of 2.7 meters. The circular platform has a perimeter of 75 meters, a height of 1.5 meters, and a width of 22.5 meters. A white stone stele was rebuilt in front of the tomb, inscribed in clerical script with “Tomb of the Xinhai Martyr Zhao Sheng Boxian.” The stele stands 1.98 meters tall, 0.81 meters wide, and 0.14 meters thick. Stone lion bases are placed at both ends, left and right, in front of the offering table and platform. There are two levels of steps, totaling 10 steps.

In 1986, the Zhenjiang Municipal People’s Government continued the restoration work, reinstating the stone memorial archway, stone bridges, and the flagstone-paved tomb path in front of the tomb.

Further Reading:

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