Tomb of Zhang Xiaoxiang

Tomb of Zhang Xiaoxiang

The Tomb of Zhang Xiaoxiang is a cultural relic protection unit of Nanjing City.

The Tomb of Zhang Xiaoxiang is located on Huangshan Ridge in Jiangpu County, Nanjing.

Zhang Xiaoxiang, courtesy name Anguo, also known as Yu Lake, was a native of Wujiang in Liyang (now the border area between Jiangpu County and He County). He was the top scholar in the imperial examination of 1154 during the Southern Song Dynasty’s Shaoxing era. He successively held positions such as Attendant Clerk, Proofreader Clerk, Vice Minister of Rites, Gentleman of the Imperial Diaries, Secretary of the Secretariat, Garrison Commander of Jiankang, Compiler at the Jiyi Hall, and had served as Prefect of Pingjiang, Jingjiang, and Jingnan prefectures. He actively advocated resisting the invasion of the Jin people and was a renowned patriotic poet. He authored the *Collected Works of Yu Lake Retired Scholar* and passed away in Wuhu in 1169 due to illness.

There are two historical accounts regarding the burial site of Zhang Xiaoxiang: the *Jingding Jiankang Annals* from the Song Dynasty records that “Zhang Xiaoxiang’s tomb is located at Qingguo Temple in Shangyuan (present-day Nanjing)”; the *Yingtianfu Annals* from the Ming Dynasty state that “the tomb is at Qishan in Jiangpu”; while the *Jiaqing Jiangning Prefecture Annals* from the Qing Dynasty presents both views. The *Jiangpu Pi Cheng* follows the Ming prefectural annals but adds a commentary: the *Jingding Annals* “being a Song-era record of a Song tomb should not be inaccurate, but as Zhang Xiaoxiang was from Wujiang, the tomb at present-day Qishan in Pu might be his ancestral burial ground.” In 1971, the Nanjing Museum excavated the tomb of Zhang Tongzhi, son of Zhang Xiaoxiang, on Huangshan Ridge in Jiangpu County. The unearthed epitaph reads: “The family originated from Wujiang in Hezhou… Father Xiaoxiang, Academician Direct of Xianmo Hall… The subject [Zhang Tongzhi] retired due to scholarly distinction… In July of the first year of the Qingyuan era, he was appointed Direct of the Secretariat and transferred to be Transport Judge of Jiangxi Circuit. The following year, he fell ill and died in office… His family chose a propitious spot next to the ancestral burial ground at Huangye Ridge (also called Huangyue Ridge) on the sunny side.” Zhang Tongzhi was buried in the ancestral burial ground at Huangye Ridge in Jiangpu (now Huangshan Ridge). On May 24, 1982, a fragmentary stone stele bearing the name of Zhang Xiaoxiang was discovered on the southern slope of Huangshan Ridge. The stele leans 15 degrees forward, standing in front of the tomb, with most of it buried in soil. Two broken pieces that had fallen from the stele were also found nearby. After being pieced together, the stele is largely intact, standing 0.9 meters tall and 0.44 meters wide, with a total of 41 legible characters. The central inscription reads: “Tomb of Master Zhang Xiaoxiang, Top Scholar, Academician Direct of Xianmo Hall of the Song Dynasty,” with the heading “Erected on the first day of the third month of the 25th year of the Jiaqing era” and the signature “Descendant Ru Ru offering sacrifices.” Except for the third character of the signature, which is missing due to a break in the stele, all 40 other characters are clearly readable. Therefore, it is believed that after Zhang Xiaoxiang’s death, he was originally buried near Qingguo Temple outside Taiping Gate in present-day Nanjing, and later his tomb was relocated to Huangye Ridge in Jiangpu, or that Huangye Ridge is a cenotaph erected by his descendants in their ancestral burial ground there. Research suggests the former possibility is more likely.