Tomb of Song Ying

Tomb of Song Ying

The Tomb of Song Ying is a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangsu Province.

In 1440, Zhu Zhiming, the fourth daughter of the Ming Emperor Chengzu (Zhu Di, 1360–1424) and Princess Xianning, passed away here and was buried the following year on Tuan Mountain in Lishui. Her husband, the distinguished general Song Ying, died in battle in 1449 while resisting an invasion by the Oirats in Datong, Shanxi. In 1454, he was buried here alongside Princess Xianning. The Tomb of Song Ying was carved into the mountain rock, then constructed with bricks and stones. It is 14 meters in total length, 6.1 meters at its widest point, and covers a total area of 54 square meters. The tomb consists of a passageway, an antechamber, and left, right, and rear chambers, all with brick arched ceilings and square brick flooring. The antechamber and the left, right, and rear chambers are all equipped with double stone doors. The passageway contains the epitaphs of both Song Ying and Princess Xianning. The left, right, and rear chambers have coffin platforms, niches on three sides, connecting passages between them, and burial objects such as jade belts and gold rings.

In terms of scale and historical-cultural value, the Ming Tomb of Song Ying is far less significant than the Ming imperial tombs. Compared to the ancient tombs of the Southern Dynasties in Nanjing, it was also built much later. However, the Tomb of Song Ying remains representative and is well-preserved. The site of the ancient tomb is only 50 meters away from a future main highway.

On October 22, 2002, the Tomb of Song Ying was designated as part of the fifth batch of cultural relic protection units of Jiangsu Province.

Further reading:

· Fifth Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Jiangsu Province