Tomb of Ye Shengtao and the Former Site of His Teaching

Tomb of Ye Shengtao and the Former Site of His Teaching

The Tomb of Ye Shengtao and the Former Site of His Teaching is a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangsu Province.

The cemetery of Mr. Ye Shengtao is located northwest of the Ye Shengtao Memorial Hall within the Gusu Ancient Town scenic area in Wuzhong District, Suzhou. On December 18, 1988, his eldest son, Ye Zhishan, along with relatives and friends, escorted part of Ye Shengtao’s ashes to Gusu, Suzhou, where they were placed in a stone sarcophagus.

The cemetery faces east and is situated westward. The grave platform is one meter high, 11 meters long, and 10 meters wide. The memorial wall is three meters high and five meters wide, all constructed from granite. The wall bears six gilded Chinese characters “Tomb of Mr. Ye Shengtao,” inscribed by Zhao Puchu. Mr. Ye Shengtao’s ashes are stored in the stone sarcophagus at the center of the grave platform. Above the wall and around the grave platform, the stone fence posts and the terrace edge are carved with patterns of peach blossoms, plum blossoms, and evergreen.

In March 2019, the Tomb of Ye Shengtao and the Former Site of His Teaching were jointly included in the eighth batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units by the provincial government.

Ye Shengtao, originally named Ye Shaojun, with the courtesy name Bingchen and literary name Shengtao, was born on October 28, 1894, in Suzhou, Jiangsu. He was a modern writer, educator, literary publisher, and social activist, often referred to as an “outstanding language artist.”

In 1907, he was admitted to Caoqiao Middle School. In 1916, he began teaching at Shanggong School affiliated with the Commercial Press in Shanghai, where he published his first fairy tale, “The Scarecrow.” In 1918, he released his first vernacular short story, “A Trivial Tale of a Spring Banquet.” In 1923, he published the full-length novel “Ni Huanzhi.”

After 1949, he successively held the positions of... More detailed information about Ye Shengtao ++

Gusu Town: Gusu, located 25 kilometers southeast of Suzhou City, borders the Wusong River to the north, faces Chenghu Lake to the south, connects to the Industrial Park to the west, and links with Kunshan to the east. The town covers an area of 115 square kilometers (including 40 square kilometers of Chenghu Lake water area), governs 16 administrative villages and 2 communities, with a total population of over 200,000. Roads such as the Suzhou-Shanghai Expressway, the Outer Ring Expressway, Gusu Avenue, and Dongfang Avenue run through the town, giving it a superior location and convenient transportation.

Gusu is a water town with a history of more than 2,500 years and profound cultural heritage. It has been called “the foremost water town in China” by Mr. Fei Xiaotong. The town features numerous cultural and historical attractions... More detailed information about Gusu Town ++

Further Reading:

· Eighth Batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units