Tomb of the Yan Family

Tomb of the Yan Family

The term "Yan family" refers to Yan Han, who served as the Right Guanglu Grand Master during the Eastern Jin Dynasty, and his descendants. Yan Han, courtesy name Hongdu, was a native of Langya Linyi (though the Book of Jin · Biographies of Filial and Fraternal Yan Han erroneously records him as being from Shen). He crossed the Yangtze River with Emperor Yuan of Jin and settled in Jiangcheng. "He passed away at the age of 93 and left instructions for a plain coffin and a simple burial." He was buried at the southern foot of Tiger Mountain, outside Xinmin Gate in present-day Nanjing, which is referred to in local historical texts as "beside the Jing'an Road."

The Jingding Jiankang Annals · Customs · Various Tombs records: "The tomb of Yan Han, Left Guanglu Grand Master and Marquis of Xiping, is located beside the Jing'an Road." It further notes: "Han was the fourteenth-generation ancestor of the Zhenxiang lineage during the Tang Dynasty," and states that "the ancient stele beside the Jing'an Road bore an inscription by Yan Yanzhi, though the location of the tomb itself is unknown." By the seventh year of the Dali era in the Tang Dynasty (772), Yan Zhenqing reconstructed the tomb stele on the original turtle pedestal. The full text of the stele contains 1,185 characters, with three characters missing.

In April 1958, while excavating soil at the foot of Tiger Mountain, the Civil Engineering Team of Gulou District successively discovered several tombs: the Tomb of Lady Liu, wife of Yan Qian, Governor of Ancheng (Tomb 1); the Tomb of Yan (a Cavalry Commandant) (Tomb 2); the Tomb of Yan Yue, Governor of Lingling (Tomb 3); and the Tomb of Yan Zhenzhi (Tomb 4). These were excavated by the Nanjing Cultural Relics Preservation Committee. The Volume 2 of the Jinling Tongzhuan states: "Yan Mao, courtesy name Jundao, was a native of Langya. His father, Yan Han, crossed the Yangtze River with the Jin emperor and served as the Left Guanglu Grand Master, settling in Jiangcheng. Mao held the position of Palace Attendant and Minister of the Imperial Household, and was enfeoffed as Marquis of Xiping. His younger brother, Yan Yue, was Governor of Lingling and known for his effective governance. Their son, whose courtesy name was Wenhe, served as a Western Department Official of the commandery and as a Cavalry Commandant." The names, titles, and positions inscribed on the epitaphs, stone seals, and bronze seals match those recorded in historical documents, confirming that this site is indeed the burial ground of Yan Han and his descendants.

Of particular note is that approximately 30 meters above and to the right of the aforementioned four tombs, two additional brick-chambered tombs were discovered. These tombs are larger in scale than the previous four but unfortunately have been severely damaged. Analysis of the steel-reinforced concrete fortifications built over the tombs suggests that they may have been destroyed in the early stages of the Anti-Japanese War. Although it cannot be confirmed whether these tombs belonged to Yan Han or Yan Mao, their burial sequence, size, and adherence to the right-side burial custom suggest that their occupants held no lower a status than those in the four other tombs.

According to the Stele of the Jinghou Lineage written by Yan Zhenqing, which records that "seven generations starting from Yan Han were all buried in Jinling," it is likely that more than six tombs of the Yan family are located on Tiger Mountain. Approximately 20 meters in front of the tombs of Lady Liu, wife of Yan Qian, and Yan Yue, a small brick-chambered arched tomb (Tomb 5) was discovered. This tomb contained funerary objects such as pottery armrests, pottery plates, celadon ewers, and bowls, and may also belong to a descendant of the Yan family. Based on the style of the artifacts, it is believed to date from the late Eastern Jin Dynasty or the early Liu Song Dynasty. About 50 meters east of the Tomb of Yan Zhenzhi lies a stele for Wen Qiao, a General of Chariots and Cavalry from the Jin Dynasty, erected by people in the late Qing Dynasty. However, Wen Qiao is believed to have been buried in Yuzhang.