Tomb of Ge Cheng

Tomb of Ge Cheng

The Tomb of Ge Cheng is a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangsu Province.

Tomb of Ge Cheng

In the 29th year of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty (1601), the eunuch Sun Long was dispatched to Suzhou to raise taxes. He appointed private tax officials, arbitrarily established checkpoints, and levied excessive and oppressive taxes, provoking intense public anger. Compounding the situation, a flood occurred, destroying the mulberry and silkworm harvests, leading to soaring silk prices. Weaving households shut down operations and ceased weaving, leaving over ten thousand weavers unemployed. They "gathered in crowds that filled the streets and alleys," and a tax resistance movement—led mainly by skilled artisans—was ready to ignite at any moment. Ge Cheng (1568–1630), a silk weaver from Suzhou, played a central role. On the third day of the sixth month of the 29th year of Wanli, at the Xuanmiao Temple, he "waved a banana-leaf fan and with a single shout, rallied a thousand people in response." "A thousand brave souls stepped forward, while tens of thousands lined the streets to watch." For three days and nights, the unrest surged "like madness." They burned down the residences of the tax officials, killed Tax Official Huang Jianshe, and more, frightening the tax supervisor Sun Long into fleeing to Hangzhou. Ge Cheng also killed local ruffians who acted as accomplices to the tax officials, such as Tang Shen, bringing immense relief to the people. Wherever they went, they maintained strict discipline, not taking so much as a thread or item from the populace, nor harming any innocent person. Just as victory was achieved and workers were about to resume work, government troops were deployed to suppress the uprising, and they began hunting down the leaders. Ge Cheng stepped forward to take responsibility and was imprisoned for 13 years. After his release, the people of Wu revered him as sacred, honoring him as “Ge Xian” (Lord Ge) or “General Ge.” Out of admiration for the noble righteousness of the “Five Gentlemen,” Ge Cheng volunteered to guard their tombs. He passed away in the third year of the Chongzhen reign (1630) due to illness and was buried next to the Tomb of the Five Gentlemen.

Major Achievements

The God of Joy in the East During the late Ming and early Qing dynasties in Suzhou, the title referred to Ge Cheng (also known as Ge Xian). Ge Cheng, always cheerful, frequently helped the poor. Often carrying a banana-leaf fan, he resembled a reincarnation of the legendary monk Ji Gong. He loved to fight injustice, was generous and kind-hearted, stood tall and upright, and was regarded as a deputy city god. People with troubles would seek his help to resolve them. The public called him the “Demon-Expelling General.” He himself understood the *Book of Changes* and could tell fortunes. He once sparked a major uprising that alarmed the emperor, subdued demons on earth, and brought peace to countless households.

It is said that many Suzhou painters visited Ge Cheng to paint his portrait. The public eagerly sought these portraits to hang in their homes, hoping to gain good fortune and pray for peace and trouble-free lives. This practice made the painters’ businesses flourish. A retired prime minister, Zhu Guozhen (1558–1632), witnessed this and composed an inscription: “The righteous spirits of Wu rise like clouds, their legacy enduring through generations. The long rainbow of the Eastern Sea hangs under the autumn moon; painters all bow to General Ge.”

“Long Rainbow Hanging Under the Moon” refers to hanging lanterns during joyful occasions, symbolizing celebrations.

Legend has it that a prominent Huizhou merchant named Cheng Shangfu once gifted a concubine named Ai Ji to Ge Cheng. Ge Cheng firmly refused to live with her. Ten days later, he inquired about her family’s address, sent her back to her parents’ home, and provided her with a dowry to help her marry a suitable person. Ai Ji did not understand the reason, but fortunately, a Taoist nun from a neighboring temple reassured her: “Ge Cheng is not human, he is a god!” When Ai Ji got married, Ge Cheng gave her two lanterns to add joy to her wedding. Later, she gave birth to a pair of boy-and-girl twins. From then on, every Spring Festival or Lantern Festival, Ai Ji would bring her twin children to worship the God of Joy.

During the late Ming and early Qing periods, many people in Suzhou who were organizing joyous events would go to Shantang Street to buy lanterns and worship Ge Xian. They worshipped the man during his life, and his tomb afterward.

The tomb gate and worship hall of Ge Cheng are now shared with the Tomb of the Five Gentlemen. The tomb mound faces west and is rectangular in shape, surrounded by strip stones. It lies just 2 meters east of the Tomb of the Five Gentlemen. The tombstone inscribed with “Tomb of Wu’s Ge Xian” was written by Wen Zhenmeng and erected in the third year of the Chongzhen reign. The *Tombstone of General Wu Ge* was composed by Chen Jiru in the 12th year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1673) and is located in the western side chamber of the worship hall. In 1956 and 1981, the Suzhou Cultural Relics Management Committee carried out restoration work on both the Tomb of Ge Cheng and the Tomb of the Five Gentlemen.

Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit, First and Second Batches Adjusted and Announced in March 1982: Tomb of Ge Cheng, Ming Dynasty, Suzhou City, Shantang Street

Ge Cheng (1568–1630), a silk weaver from Suzhou (originally from Kunshan, Suzhou). In the 29th year of the Wanli reign (1601), the eunuch Sun Long was sent to Suzhou to raise taxes. He privately appointed tax officials, arbitrarily set up checkpoints, and colluded with local bureaucrats assisting in tax collection such as Tang Shen, using exploitative gentry figures like Huang Jianshe and Xu Cheng to monopolize and divide profits. On the sixth day of the sixth month, Huang Jianshe took control of the Fengmen checkpoint and taxed a melon seller. The man had already paid taxes on several melons upon entering the city, and when he left to exchange them for four liters of rice, he was taxed another liter. The melon seller cried over this, only to be beaten. When Ge Cheng and others arrived and saw this, he let out a shout, and the bystanders… More details about Ge Cheng ++

Further Reading:

· First and Second Batches of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units