The Unidentified Tomb at Lijiacun

The Unidentified Tomb at Lijiacun

The Unidentified Tomb at Lijiacun is a cultural relic protection unit of Nanjing City.

The Unidentified Tomb at Lijiacun is located in Jiangshan Village, Gucheng Town, Gaochun District, dating back to the Tang Dynasty.

The Unidentified Tomb at Lijiacun is, in fact, the famous Twin Maidens’ Tomb, the site of China’s legendary “tale of a ghostly romance.” Although originally a Han Dynasty tomb, legend says that two incredibly beautiful sisters, unwilling to accept their elders’ arranged marriages, drowned themselves and were buried together in the wild—hence the name Twin Maidens’ Tomb. The tomb rose to great fame during the Tang Dynasty because, in the second year of the Qianfu era (875 AD), Cui Zhiyuan from Gyerim (modern-day Korea), serving as magistrate of Lishui County, visited Huashan and Jinshan near Gucheng Town on a sightseeing trip. That night, the guesthouse where he stayed, Zhaoxian Pavilion, was not far from the Twin Maidens’ Tomb. After hearing the story of the two sisters, he was deeply moved and paid his respects at the tomb, inscribing a poem on its gate. This act touched the spirits of the maidens resting within, and one night, the sisters appeared to him. Together they drank wine, composed poetry, shared a bed, and enjoyed an intimate evening until dawn. Cui Zhiyuan later wrote the narrative poem “The Fairy’s Red Pouch,” commemorating that unforgettable encounter between the living and the spectral. At the time, Cui Zhiyuan was only 19 years old—leaving behind a timeless romantic tale.

The Unidentified Tomb at Lijiacun is a cultural relic protection unit of Nanjing City.