Stone Carvings at the Tomb of Emperor Wu of Liu Song, Liu Yu

Stone Carvings at the Tomb of Emperor Wu of Liu Song, Liu Yu

The stone carvings at the tomb of Emperor Wu of Liu Song, Liu Yu, are designated as a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangsu Province.

The tomb of Emperor Wu of Liu Song, Liu Yu, is located in Qilinpu Village, Qilinpu Township, Jiangning County, near Qilin Gate in the eastern suburbs of Nanjing.

Liu Yu, courtesy name Deyu, was a native of Suiyuli in Pengcheng. He came from a declining aristocratic family. In the early years of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, his family fled from Pengcheng (present-day Xuzhou) to Jingkou (now Zhenjiang) to escape turmoil. In the first year of the Yongchu era (420), he seized the throne from Emperor Sima Dewen of the Eastern Jin and reigned for three years. He died in May of the third year of Yongchu at the age of 60. In July, he was buried in Chiangshan (present-day Zhongshan Mountain in Nanjing), Jiankang County, Danyang Commandery, in the tomb known as the Chuining Mausoleum.

In front of Liu Yu’s tomb, there are two extant stone beasts: the Tianlu (heavenly deer) to the east and the Qilin (unicorn) to the west. They were restored in September 1956. The Tianlu originally lay toppled by a pond, with severe erosion on its chest and abdomen, missing limbs, broken hips, and a severed tail. The Qilin originally stood at the corner of a civilian house, with damage to its top and jaw, cracks along its waist and limbs, and parts of it sunken into the ground. During restoration, the Tianlu was moved 23.4 meters to the left front, and since all its limbs were damaged, four stone pedestals were added to support it. The restored Tianlu stands 3 meters tall (including the pedestals), is 3 meters long, and 1.2 meters wide. The Qilin to the west was shifted 2.63 meters westward and then moved back another 2.23 meters. Due to its large size (weighing approximately 12.5 tons) and only one intact leg—with three legs broken—a movable stone pedestal was created and placed under its belly to reduce the load on its legs. The Qilin is 3 meters long, 2.75 meters tall, and its base is 1.2 meters wide; its tail is missing and the rear hip is cracked.

The restored Tianlu and Qilin were placed in their original orientation, 23.4 meters apart, standing guard on either side of the road. Both stone beasts have round eyes, open mouths, upturned tongues, neatly arranged teeth, prominent fangs at the corners of the mouth, four front teeth, and three teeth on each side. Their foreheads feature six strands of mane hanging down to the chest, their wings are carved with scale-like feather patterns, giving them a dynamic, ready-to-fly appearance, and their bodies are covered with cloud-hook-like fur. The reliefs are exquisitely crafted, exhibiting a unique style.

Further Reading:

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