Tomb of Li Xian

Tomb of Li Xian

The Tomb of Li Xian is designated as a cultural relic protection unit of Yueqing City.

The Tomb of Li Xian is located at the foot of Yongquan Mountain in Wuaocun Village, Lecheng Town, Yueqing City. It features five terraces arranged in a horseshoe-back chair formation. The site is enclosed by a perimeter wall, and the vertical facades of the terrace edges are adorned with intricate carvings, though most have been largely damaged. Currently, one pair each of ornamental pillars (huabiao), stone statues of officials (wengzhong), and stone horses remain, along with one stone sheep and one epitaph.

Li Xian (1483–1545), courtesy name Chong?, style name Tainan, was a native of Yueqing. He became a Jinshi (advanced scholar) in the third year of the Zhengde era (1508) during the Ming Dynasty. He served as magistrate of Min County, was appointed as an imperial censor, inspected Guizhou as an official circuit intendant, and was later promoted to Provincial Administration Commissioner of Guizhou. In the early years of Emperor Shizong’s reign, when eunuchs falsely accused senior officials, Li Xian remonstrated in a memorial to defend them, drawing the intense hatred of the corrupt clique. As a result, he was exiled to serve as prefect of Huai’an, then transferred to administer Ganzhou and Suzhou. He was later promoted to Regional Inspector and Grand Coordinator of Southern Jiangxi, where he died in office. He authored Collected Works of Tainan.

Source: Wenzhou Museum