Carved Stones of the Unnamed Tomb from the Liu Song Dynasty at Lanshi Longnan

Carved Stones of the Unnamed Tomb from the Liu Song Dynasty at Lanshi Longnan

The Carved Stones of the Unnamed Tomb from the Liu Song Dynasty at Lanshi Longnan is a Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Carved Stones of the Unnamed Tomb from the Liu Song Dynasty at Lanshi Longnan – The Southern Dynasties stone carvings in Danyang were listed as Major National Historical and Cultural Sites in 1988. However, the China Cultural Relics Atlas · Jiangsu Volume did not include the Lanshi Longnan unnamed tomb carvings among the national key sites, classifying them instead as provincial-level cultural relics.

There are two stone carvings, one to the south and one to the north, facing each other across an earthen path. The southern one is heavily damaged, with only parts of the lower body remaining, while the northern one is relatively intact but severely weathered. Careful observation is needed to discern some of the detailed patterns.

According to the Danyang County Annals: “The tomb has now been leveled. In front of the tomb were two stone xie (mythical beast statues), arranged in a north-south line. The southern xie is now shattered, while the northern one is relatively well-preserved. It resembles a lion, measuring 1.58 meters in length, 1.54 meters in height, with a neck height of 0.75 meters and a body girth of 1.7 meters. With its mouth open and tongue sticking out, it crouches in a posture unique among Southern Dynasties stone carvings. In May 1977, it was placed on a pedestal. This tomb is believed to be that of Xiao Zhaowen, the Prince of Hailing and deposed emperor of the Qi Dynasty.”

(Japan) Tsunoda Kazutaka, Six Dynasties Imperial Mausoleums: “The right-side stone beast at Lanshi Long has been shattered, while the left-side beast, though weathered, remains in good condition. It measures 1.58 meters in length and 1.54 meters in height, crouching with its front legs raised, head slightly tilted upward, mouth open and tongue protruding. Its head and shoulders are adorned with mane-like fur, and it has wings on both shoulders. Interestingly, its square, pillar-like tail curls upward and extends along the back to the shoulders. Judging by the full mane, it is clearly modeled after a lion.”

Compared with the photo in Zhu Qiyin’s Painting Album of Stone Animals from the Southern Dynasties (dated around 1936), the southern stone beast at Lanshi Long was still largely intact at that time, and the northern one also showed little signs of weathering. It is unclear when the damage to the stone beasts occurred.

Further reading:

· Fourth Batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units