Tomb of Chen Qubing

Tomb of Chen Qubing

The Tomb of Chen Qubing is a Suzhou Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Tomb of Chen Qubing is situated at the southwestern foot of Tiger Hill, outside Changmen Gate. It was listed as a Suzhou Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Unit in 1982. He died in his hometown of Tongli Town in October 1933. In November 1935, on the 36th anniversary of the founding of the Southern Society, Liu Yazi and other society members relocated his remains to be buried at the foot of Tiger Hill, where the Southern Society was born, and held a solemn public memorial ceremony.

The tomb is located within a cedar forest on the southwestern slope of Tiger Hill, facing south with its back to the north, shaped like an inverted cauldron. It is enclosed by blue bricks and topped with cement, with a diameter of 5.9 meters and a height of 2.2 meters. A concrete enclosing wall was later added, along with a stele at the front, a stone offering table, and a paved path leading to the grave. The stele bears the inscription “Tomb of Mr. Chen Peiren, alias Chen Qubing,” written by Liu Yizheng, with a carved relief of two cranes soaring overhead. Due to years of neglect, the site gradually deteriorated, but it was renovated in 1982 by the Tiger Hill Scenic Area Management Office.

Chen Qubing (1874–1933) was a modern Chinese poet and one of the founders of the Southern Society. He was a native of Tongli, Wujiang, Jiangsu Province. Inspired by the saying, “How can I think of home when the Huns have not yet been vanquished?” he resolutely changed his name to “Qubing” (meaning “to eliminate sickness” or in this context, “to eliminate national sickness”). In his early years, he joined the Tongmenghui (Revolutionary Alliance), followed Dr. Sun Yat-sen, and spared no effort in promoting the revolution. He made significant contributions during both the Xinhai Revolution, which overthrew the Qing dynasty, and the Constitutional Protection Movement against Yuan Shikai. His poetry often expressed fervent patriotism, characterized by a vigorous and solemn style. In 1923, he served as a professor in the Department of Chinese Literature at the National Southeast University (which became Central University in 1928 and Nanjing University in 1949)... More information about Chen Qubing ++