Stone Carvings at the Tomb of Xiao Huan, Prince Zhonglie of Poyang of the Liang Dynasty

Stone Carvings at the Tomb of Xiao Huan, Prince Zhonglie of Poyang of the Liang Dynasty

The stone carvings at the tomb of Xiao Huan, Prince Zhonglie of Poyang of the Liang Dynasty, are a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangsu Province.

The tomb of Xiao Huan, Prince Zhonglie of Poyang, is located to the west of Ganjiachang in the northeastern suburbs of Nanjing, about 60 meters east of Xiao ??'s tomb. Xiao Huan, courtesy name Hongda, was the ninth son of Emperor Wen of Liang, Xiao Shunzhi.

In the first year of the Tianjian era (502), he was enfeoffed as the Prince of Poyang. In the fifth year of the Putong era (524), he was promoted to the rank of General of Agile Cavalry. He died in office in Jingzhou in the seventh year (526) at the age of 51. He was posthumously honored as Palace Attendant and Minister over the Masses, and given the posthumous title of “Zhonglie” (Loyal and Heroic).

In front of Xiao Huan’s tomb, there are two extant stone winged lions (xi zhi) facing each other from east to west, 20 meters apart. They were restored in 1955.

The eastern xi zhi is 3.2 meters long, 1.75 meters wide, and 2.81 meters high. It has a crack running from the head to the tail, 0.14 meters wide. During restoration, the crack was repaired with cement and reinforced with an iron band. A horizontal support was also placed under its belly. The western xi zhi is 3.45 meters long, 1.2 meters wide, and 2.87 meters high. Its head is missing. Due to long-term weathering, its body shows various cracks, and the lower part originally buried in soil has been excavated during restoration.

Both xi zhi figures have no horns but feature wings, thick short necks, open mouths with drooping tongues, flowing forehead whiskers, and grooved patterns on their backs and chests, giving them a majestic and graceful contour.

The original tomb of Xiao Huan had a memorial stele. According to Volume 25 of the *Baoke Congbian* (Compilation of Stone Inscriptions), which records the *Fuzhai Bei Lu* (Record of Steles from the Restoration Studio) by Song dynasty’s Wang Houzhi, there is mention of the “Tomb Epitaph of the Late Prince of Poyang, Minister over the Masses, and Palace Attendant, Xiao Huan of the Liang,” created by Zhang Zuan by imperial decree and buried on the 25th day of the second month in the seventh year of the Putong era (526).

Further Reading:

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