Stone Carvings at the Tomb of Xiao Hong, Prince Jinghui of Linchuan of the Liang Dynasty

Stone Carvings at the Tomb of Xiao Hong, Prince Jinghui of Linchuan of the Liang Dynasty

The stone carvings at the tomb of Xiao Hong, Prince Jinghui of Linchuan of the Liang Dynasty, are designated as a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangsu Province.

The tomb of Xiao Hong, Prince Jinghui of Linchuan of the Liang Dynasty, is located in Zhangku Village outside Xianhe Gate in the northeastern suburbs of Nanjing.

Xiao Hong, courtesy name Xuanda, was the sixth son of Emperor Wen of Liang, Xiao Shunzhi. In the first year of the Tianjian era (502), he was enfeoffed as the Prince of Linchuan. He died in the seventh year of the Putong era (526) at the age of 54 and was posthumously honored with the title “Jinghui.”

In front of Xiao Hong’s tomb, there are currently two stone winged beasts, two stone pillars, one stone stele, and two turtle pedestals. The eastern winged beast was originally buried upside down in a ditch, with a broken base and damaged hindquarters. It was restored and re-erected in 1956. The western winged beast is too badly damaged and remains buried in the earth. The restored eastern winged beast measures 3.2 meters in length, 1.48 meters in width at the front, 1.38 meters at the back, and 3.15 meters in height (including the base). The beast has its mouth open and tongue hanging out, head raised and chest puffed, with wings carved with scale patterns, appearing as if ready to take flight—full of vitality. Among the stone beasts at the tombs of the Southern Dynasties, the stone winged beasts at Xiao Hong’s tomb feature a simple yet distinctive design.

The western stone pillar stands between field ridges, measuring 4.96 meters in height and 3.2 meters in circumference. It is carved with twenty-eight vertical ridges resembling melon sections. The top is oriented northward and inscribed with the text: “The Divine Path of the Late Prince Jinghui of Linchuan, Duke of False Yellow Axe, Palace Attendant, Grand General, Governor of Yangzhou.” The characters are arranged vertically and read from top to bottom. The top of the pillar once had a cover, but the small stone beast on it is now missing. The eastern stone pillar is broken into several pieces and lies on the ground, with its cover lying beside it. The cover is carved with lotus patterns. The base of the pillar is round on top and square below, broken into two parts, and was buried in the earth in 1974.

South of the stone pillars lies the stone stele. Originally, there were two stelae, facing east and west. The eastern stele has been destroyed, leaving only its turtle pedestal, half-buried in the earth. The western stele still stands atop its turtle pedestal and is relatively intact. However, due to severe weathering, the inscriptions on the stele can no longer be identified. This stele follows the style of Han dynasty stelae, featuring a round top with a perforation and carved double chi-dragons at the top. The inscription on the stele’s top is illegible. The sides of the stele are divided into eight panels decorated with carvings: the first panel shows a half-human, half-beast creature; the second, a pair of mythical birds; the third, a winged frog-like monster; the fourth, a double-horned flying beast; the fifth and seventh, various monsters; the sixth, a bird with flapping wings; and the eighth, a flying horse. These decorations are lively and imaginative, and their carving style is consistent with the reliefs on the divine path stone pillars. The panelled decorative carvings on the sides of Xiao Hong’s tomb stele are characteristic of stele art from the Northern and Southern Dynasties period.

Further Reading:

· First and Second Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Jiangsu Province