Tomb of Zhao Shi

Tomb of Zhao Shi

The Tomb of Zhao Shi is a Suzhou Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Tomb of Zhao Shi

Located at Xiangxiangbang at the southwestern foot of Yushan Mountain, Zhao Shi (1874–1933), styled Shinong and also known by his art name Guni, was a renowned seal carver in modern times and a disciple of Wu Changshuo. The tomb faces south and covers an area of about 100 square meters. The burial mound has a circular earth mound with a diameter of 2.2 meters and a height of 1.2 meters. It features a stele inscribed with “Tomb of My Late Father Zhao Guni,” written by his daughter Zhao Lin, who was a calligrapher and epigraphist. The site includes an outer enclosure wall and a tomb gate. The tomb path is approximately 20 meters long. To its right now stands a memorial pavilion for his daughter Zhao Lin. The pavilion is square-shaped, built of stone, with equal width and depth of 1 meter, and a height of 2.1 meters. The original site of Zhao Shi’s tomb was at the foot of Wuwang Temple on the western side of the city. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, it was buried due to quarrying activities. It was rediscovered during the citywide cultural relics survey in 1984, restored at the original location in 1988, and relocated to its current site in July 2000. The tomb was designated as a municipal-level cultural relic protection unit on August 31, 1989.

Zhao Shi (1874–1933) was a seal carver. Also known as Guyu, he styled himself Shinong and used the art name Guni, with the sobriquet Nidao Ren. He was a native of Tangshi, Changshu, Jiangsu Province. His father was a medicinal herb farmer. Zhao Shi only attended private school for three years before starting an apprenticeship at a pharmacy. Three years later, he went to Hanshan Temple in Suzhou intending to become a monk but was not accepted, so he returned to Jincun. During the day, he read and practiced calligraphy by the medicine cabinet, and in the evening, he studied seal carving. He initially studied under Li Zhong from Changshu and began to grasp the basics of seal carving. Later, he caught the attention of Li Zhong’s teacher, Wu Changshuo, who recommended him to the collector Shen Shiyu for further training. There, he laid a solid foundation in poetry, calligraphy, painting, and seal carving. He once carved over a hundred Duan inkstones for Shen Shiyu... More details about Zhao Shi ++