Tomb of Xie An

Tomb of Xie An

The Tomb of Xie An is a cultural relic protection unit of Huzhou City.

Xie An, an outstanding statesman, renowned prime minister, and celebrated scholar of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, was born into the prestigious Xie family in Yangxia, Chen Commandery (present-day Taikang, Henan). Later, during a major clan migration, the family moved to Shining, Zhejiang (present-day Shangyu).

During his over 20 years in office, Xie An achieved two major accomplishments: first, he prevented Grand Marshal Huan Wen from seizing the Jin throne. He promptly recruited young nobles to train the "Northern Army" and made military preparations to suppress the rebellion. Second, leading the Northern Army as the main force, he defeated the 900,000-strong invading army of Fu Jian from the Former Qin, securing the historically famous victory of the "Battle of Fei River" — a triumph of the few over the many. The phrases “wind-swept cranes and alarmed armies” and “seeing soldiers in every tree and bush” describe the panic of the Former Qin troops during their defeat at the Battle of Fei River.

After the victory at the Battle of Fei River, Xie An insisted on launching a northern campaign to reclaim the Central Plains and unify the north. However, his efforts were not understood by the Sima imperial family of the Eastern Jin, who instead feared that Xie An’s achievements might overshadow the emperor’s authority. They exiled him to Guangling (present-day Yangzhou). Xie An died with his ambitions unfulfilled and in deep despair in the tenth year of the Taiyuan era (385 AD) at the age of 66.

After his death, Xie An was posthumously honored as Grand Tutor and buried on Meiling in Jiankang (present-day Nanjing). So how did his tomb end up in Changxing? From the Song, Qi, Liang, and Chen dynasties until the 11th year of the Chen Taijian era (579 AD), Chen Baxian’s grandson excavated Xie An’s tomb to bury his birth mother, Lady Peng, discarding Xie An’s coffin. At the time, Xie An’s descendant Xie Yiwu, who was serving as the magistrate of Changxing, learned of this and had Xie An’s remains reburied on Sanya Ridge in Changxing.

The Tomb of Xie An has two distinctive features: first, the tomb faces north, symbolizing his unyielding resolve to continue the northern campaign and reclaim the Central Plains; second, a tree called “Phellodendron” (still standing today) was planted in front of the tomb. In ancient times, the Phellodendron symbolized a “model or paragon,” and such trees were only permitted to be planted at the tombs of sages.

Taifu Village: Taifu Village comprises 9 natural villages, 31 contracting groups, 893 households (2,873 residents, including 1,881 laborers), and 71 Party members. It covers an area of 7.5 square kilometers, with 4,323 mu of arable land (including 3,668 mu of paddy fields), 1,206 mu of garden land, 500 mu of fish ponds, and a per capita rural income of 15,395 yuan in 2011. The village collective earned 583,400 yuan in revenue. Tomb of Grand Tutor Xie An (320–385 AD), courtesy name Anshi, was from Yangxia, Chen Commandery (present-day Taikang, Henan). The Chen clan of Chen Commandery was uprooted during the Yongjia Rebellion... Taifu Village detailed information++