Tomb of Xu Da

Tomb of Xu Da

The Tomb of Xu Da is a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangsu Province.

The tomb of Xu Da, the Duke of Zhongshan from the Ming Dynasty, is located in Bancang Village outside Taiping Gate in Nanjing.

Xu Da, courtesy name Tiande, was a native of Haozhou. He was one of the founding heroes of the Ming Dynasty. In the first year of the Hongwu era (1368), when Zhu Yuanzhang declared himself emperor, Xu Da was appointed as the Right Chancellor and concurrently as the Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince. During the process of dismantling the military power of the Yuan Dynasty and establishing the Ming Dynasty, Xu Da's contributions were ranked first. He was granted the titles of Founding Hero Who Assisted in Governance, Meritorious Duke, Grand Guardian of the Left, Grand Tutor, Right Chancellor of the Central Secretariat, Military Advisor to the State, and Duke of Wei. He passed away in February of the 18th year of Hongwu (1385) at the age of 54. He was posthumously honored as the Duke of Zhongshan with the posthumous name "Wuning." He was granted burial on the northern side of Mount Zhong, and his spirit tablet was enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple and the Temple of Meritorious Officials, both ranking first in position.

The Tomb of Xu Da is one of the best-preserved Ming Dynasty merit official tombs in the Nanjing area. The sacred way is about 300 meters long, and in front of the tomb there are: one spirit way stele, two stone horses, two stone sheep, two stone tigers, two warriors, and two civil officials. The “Imperially Commissioned Spirit Way Stele of the Duke of Zhongshan” stands 8.95 meters tall, 2 meters wide, and 0.7 meters thick, making it the tallest existing tomb stele in Nanjing. The inscription consists of 28 lines, with 72 characters per line. The text was personally composed by Emperor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang. The inscription features punctuation marks, which is extremely rare among ancient steles. The turtle-shaped base beneath the stele is 5 meters long, 2 meters wide, and 1.7 meters high, also quite imposing. The stone horses resemble those at the Tomb of Chang Yuchun, with hollowed spaces between their hooves. Their four hooves stand on a rectangular stone base, and their tails droop to the ground. The horse attendants beside them wear long robes, though their heads are damaged. Each horse is 3 meters long, 0.8 meters wide, and 1.75 meters high. The stone sheep are 2 meters long, 0.65 meters wide, and 1.4 meters high, with all four hooves kneeling on a rectangular pedestal. The stone tigers are 1.6 meters long, 0.6 meters wide, and 1.5 meters high, with their hind legs curled and front legs supporting the ground. One warrior has a beard on the left side but not on the right, is 2.9 meters tall, and holds a sword with both hands. The civil official has no beard on the left but does on the right, is the same height as the warrior, and holds a ceremonial tablet with both hands. The warrior’s cloud-patterned belt features intricately carved entwined lotus and diamond-patterned flowers, while the civil official’s robe is adorned with detailed cloud cranes, stylized ruyi symbols, the character for longevity, as well as tassels and headdress ornaments—all exquisitely rendered.

The Tomb of Xu Da has undergone multiple restorations. The current stone-built tomb mound is approximately 14 meters in diameter and 2.4 meters high. In front of the tomb is a stele erected by his descendants, standing 1.95 meters tall and 0.77 meters wide, inscribed with “Tomb of Madam Xie, Posthumously Honored as the Duchess of Wei, Duke of Zhongshan, Wuning, of the Ming Dynasty.” Nearby are also 11 other tombs, including those of his third son Xu Yingxu and his wife, his eldest grandson Xu Qin and his wife, and his fifth-generation descendant Xu Yong and his wife. The Nanjing Museum conducted excavations and clearing work here between 1965 and 1983 in coordination with engineering projects, unearthing numerous epitaphs and artifacts. These include complete sets of tin funerary objects, as well as gold, jade, and gilded waist belts. These items not only reflect the exquisite craftsmanship of the Ming Dynasty but also demonstrate the hierarchical funeral customs of the time.

Further Reading:

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