Tomb of Sun Quan

Tomb of Sun Quan

The Tomb of Sun Quan is a cultural relic protection unit of Nanjing City.

The Tomb of Sun Quan in Nanjing

The Tomb of Sun Quan in Nanjing is the burial site of Sun Quan, the Great Emperor of the Wu Kingdom during the Three Kingdoms period, and also the earliest imperial tomb from the Six Dynasties period in the Nanjing area. Historically known as Jiangling and also called the Tomb of the King of Wu, it is located at the southern foot of Zhongshan Mountain in Nanjing, an area formerly known as Sun Linggang, situated just 300 meters directly south of the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum. Local legend in Nanjing also says that when the Ming Emperor Taizu was constructing the Xiaoling Mausoleum, he ordered the relocation of tombs and temples in this area, and was quoted as saying: “Sun Quan was also a hero; let him guard my gate.” As a result, Sun Quan’s tomb was not destroyed during the construction of the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, and the Sacred Way of the mausoleum had to bypass Sun Linggang. This is why the Sacred Way of the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum is not straight. Today, only a small burial mound remains, with no stele in sight.

The current site of Sun Quan’s tomb is within the Plum Blossom Hill area of the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum. Only a stone stele, a stone bridge, an information plaque, and a stone statue remain.

When Zhu Yuanzhang built the Xiaoling Mausoleum in the early Ming Dynasty, Li Xin, the Director of the Central Army Command responsible for the construction, suggested to Zhu Yuanzhang that Sun Quan’s tomb be relocated. Zhu Yuanzhang replied: “Sun Quan was also a hero; let him stay and guard my gate!” As a result, during the construction of the Xiaoling Mausoleum, only the stone qilin (mythical beast) in front of Sun Quan’s tomb was moved elsewhere, while the tomb itself remained intact in its original location.

To commemorate Sun Quan’s burial at Plum Blossom Mountain, Nanjing started the construction of the Memorial Hall of Sun Quan, the Great Emperor of the Eastern Wu, on the site of Shouxing Palace where Sun Quan’s tomb is located, on the eastern side of Plum Blossom Mountain. The completed Sun Quan Memorial Hall covers an area of 7,650 square meters, with a building area of 1,683 square meters. The architectural layout and style of the entire memorial hall adopt a courtyard-style arrangement and reflect the architectural style of civilian homes in the Han Dynasty’s Jiangnan region, highlighting the simple yet majestic features of Han architecture and reflecting the cultural theme of the Eastern Wu Dynasty. The main structure of the memorial hall is designed in a fan-shaped embrace, with a semi-open plaza in front of the main hall. A statue of Sun Quan, the Great Emperor of the Eastern Wu, stands in the center of the plaza.

The exhibits in the hall are mainly divided into four sections: Heroic Youth, Struggles of the Three Kingdoms, Founding a Capital and Establishing a Realm, and Soul Tied to Zhongshan. These sections recreate the historical connections between Sun Quan and the Three Kingdoms, Sun Quan and Nanjing, and Sun Quan and Zhongshan, highlighting the foundational pioneering history of the Eastern Wu Dynasty—part of the rich cultural heritage of the ancient capital Nanjing. The display cases also feature an eight-volume copy of the "Genealogy of the Sun Clan of Fuchun," donated by descendants of Sun Quan from Fuyang Huazhu. The genealogy details the development history of the Sun family, enriching the collection of the Sun Quan Memorial Hall.

Location of the Attraction

Within the Plum Blossom Mountain Scenic Area, at the intersection of Mingling Road and South Botanical Garden Road, Xuanwu District, Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province

Type: Memorial Hall

Memorial Hall

Recommended Visiting Time: About 1 hour

Ticket Information:

Free admission.

Sun Quan, the Great Emperor of Wu (182–May 21, 252), courtesy name Zhongmou, was a native of Fuchun in Wu Commandery (present-day Fuyang, Zhejiang), born in Xiapi (present-day Pizhou, Xuzhou, Jiangsu). He was the founder of the Eastern Wu regime during the Three Kingdoms period. His father, Sun Jian, and elder brother, Sun Ce, laid the foundation of power in the Jiangdong region during the chaotic era of the late Eastern Han Dynasty. In the fifth year of the Jian’an era (200), after Sun Ce was assassinated, Sun Quan took over leadership and became a regional warlord.

In the thirteenth year of Jian’an (208), Sun Quan formed an alliance with Liu Bei. Their combined forces defeated Cao Cao’s army at the Battle of Red Cliffs. In the twenty-fourth year of Jian’an (2… More detailed information about Sun Quan++