Tomb of Yanzi

Tomb of Yanzi

The Tomb of Yanzi is a protected cultural heritage site of Jiangsu Province.

The Tomb of Yanzi is located at the eastern foot of Yushan Mountain in Changshu City.

Yanzi (506–443 BC), given name Yan, courtesy name Zigao, was a native of the Wu State during the Spring and Autumn period and a student of Confucius. He was one of the "Seventy-Two Sages." Skilled in literature, he once served as the magistrate of Wucheng and played an active role in promoting cultural and educational development in the southeastern regions. Later generations revered him as the "Sage of the South."

The original tomb had long been overgrown until the third year of the Duanping era of the Song Dynasty (1236), when Wang ..., the county magistrate of Changshu, formally mandated its protection. Therefore, the existing Tomb of Yanzi may be a commemorative memorial. The tomb renovated during the Song Dynasty underwent further repairs in the tenth year of the Hongzhi era of the Ming Dynasty (1497) by Magistrate Yang Ziqi, in the twenty-seventh year of the Jiajing era (1548) by Jiangsu Governor Chen Jiude, in the ninth year of the Chongzhen era (1636) by Jiangsu Censor Lu Zhenfei, during the Shunzhi period (1644–1661) of the Qing Dynasty by Jiangsu Provincial Administration Commissioner Wang ..., during the Yongzheng era (1723–1735) by Provincial Governor E’ertai, and by Jiangsu-Suzhou-Songjiang-Changzhou Dao Administrator Wang Chenghui. During these renovations, pools were dredged, bridges built, pavilions erected, and memorial archways installed, forming a large-scale cemetery complex covering over ten acres. During the fifth southern inspection tour of the Kangxi Emperor (1705) and the first southern tour of the Qianlong Emperor (1751), plaques were inscribed and bestowed. After the liberation, the Tomb of Yanzi underwent several restorations, and most of the structures on the tomb site remain well-preserved. Today, it includes:

The Memorial Archway of the Tomb of Yanzi: A three-bay structure made of granite, with a total width of 7.5 meters and a central bay width of 2.7 meters. The central plaque bears the engraved regular script inscription "Tomb Path of Yanzi." The stone pillars of the central bay are inscribed with a couplet: "The old house and ink well are guarded by literary descendants; the high mound and ancient trees of Yufeng stand dense." This archway was erected on March 18, 1767, during the thirty-second year of the Qianlong era, by Yan family descendants, including the hereditary Five Classics Doctor of the Hanlin Academy, Ru Zhu.

Shadow Lady River and Literature Bridge: Dredged and constructed during the Qianlong era. The bridge is a single-arch stone structure with 12 steps at each end. The bridge pillars bear inscribed couplets: one side reads "The Way extends from the distant Eastern Mountains" and "The source branches from the fragrant Ink Well"; the other side reads "The Way opens in the Southeast" and "Through ancient and modern times, it draws from the converging currents."

The "Way Opens in the Southeast" Archway: Located above the Literature Bridge, it is a three-bay structure with a total width of 6.2 meters. Stone lions stand in front of the archway. The inscription "Way Opens in the Southeast" on the archway was written by the Qianlong Emperor during his first southern tour. The reverse side of the archway bears the inscription "Spirit Gathered in Gouwu."

The "Imperial Calligraphy Pavilion": One bay wide (4.15 meters) and one bay deep (3.1 meters), rectangular in shape, built of granite with a double-eave hip-and-gable roof, featuring relatively delicate construction. Inside hangs a plaque inscribed with "Imperial Calligraphy, April 15, 1705" and "Culture Opens in Wu Region."

The "Imperial Stele Pavilion": There are two such pavilions, symmetrically placed on the left and right, with simple structures and small dimensions. Each is one bay wide (2.2 meters) and one bay deep (2 meters), with a single-eave hip-and-gable roof, built of granite. Each houses a stele, 1.4 meters high and 0.8 meters wide, with shallowly carved cloud-and-dragon designs around the edges. The inscriptions on the steles are faint and were written by the Qianlong Emperor.

The "Sage of the South" Archway: Three bays wide (6.3 meters), with lion-shaped stone tablets intricately carved, erected by E’ertai.

The Tomb Mound: Constructed of yellow stones, it stands 1.5 meters high and has a diameter of 3.5 meters. Two steles are embedded within the enclosing wall: one is the "Tomb of the Sage Zigao Yanzi" stele, 1.8 meters high and 1.1 meters wide, erected by Lu Zhenfei. Its top is damaged. The other bears the inscription "Tomb of the Sage Yanzi," 1.4 meters high and 0.47 meters wide.

The Yanzi Ancestral Hall: Now called the "Ink Fragrance" Teahouse. Most of the building has been reconstructed and houses seven ancient steles. One is the "Record of the Reconstruction of the Ancestral Tomb of the Foremost Sage Wu State Gong Zigao Yanzi" by descendant Yan Ru in the forty-sixth year of the Qianlong era (1781), with 25 lines of text recounting the details of the temple and tomb construction. It is 1.32 meters high and 0.53 meters wide. Another is the "Record of the Reconstruction of the Ancestral Tomb of the Sage Yanzi" by Lu Maizong, a Jinshi degree holder and appointed imperial censor, inscribed and written in 1901, 1.27 meters high and 0.6 meters wide, with 17 lines of regular script, 37 characters per line. Others include steles rewritten by descendants Yan Jianai and Yan Liangxin during the Guangxu era, as well as inscribed stones recording tomb repair expenses. In the courtyard of the ancestral hall, there are also scenic spots such as "Ink Stone" and "Ink Pool."

In 1987, the tomb path and imperial stele pavilion were renovated, a perimeter wall was built for the tomb area, and the first memorial archway was relocated.

On October 18, 1956, the Tomb of Yanzi was designated as a protected cultural heritage site of Jiangsu Province.

Yan Yan (506–443 BC), surname Yan, given name Yan, courtesy name Zigao, also known as "Yanyou" or "Shushi," was a native of the Wu State during the late Spring and Autumn period, from Changshu. Renowned alongside Zixia and Zizhang as one of Confucius’s notable disciples and one of the "Ten Wise Disciples of Confucius," he once served as the magistrate of Wucheng (county magistrate). Yan Yan’s Confucian thought has been revered throughout history. Yuan Dynasty Hanlin Academician Zhang Qiyi remarked: "In the twilight years of the Zhou Dynasty, as states vied for supremacy and personal gain was exalted, a man from Wu could alone embrace the way of the Duke of Zhou, travel north to study in the Central Plains, and become a distinguished disciple of Confucius…" [Additional unrelated content removed]

Further Reading:

· First and Second Batches of Protected Cultural Heritage Sites of Jiangsu Province