The Kuma Tang Cliff Burial Tomb Cluster

The Kuma Tang Cliff Burial Tomb Cluster

The Kuma Tang Cliff Burial Tomb Cluster is a Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Kuma Tang Cliff Burial Tomb Cluster is located in Huangtan Town, Wencheng County, dating back to the Republican era.

The cliff burial cluster discovered in Kuma Tang, Rundi Village, Huangtan Town, Wencheng County, preliminarily counts around 120 tombs. Verified by experts from the Provincial Cultural Relics and Archaeology Institute, it is currently the largest cliff burial site found in Zhejiang. Beneath the shale layers formed by volcanic lava deposits after an eruption, this mountain—approximately 350 meters above sea level—features a cliff burial site stretching over 400–500 meters in length.

According to inscriptions on the tombstones, the Wang, Zhang, Xing, and Cheng families were the four major clans associated with the cliff burials. Among them, the earliest historically verifiable tomb belongs to a wealthy landlord surnamed Wang, built in 1937. The tombstone is 1.5 meters high and over 2 meters long—twice the size of a typical tombstone. This marks the first discovery of a cliff burial cluster in Wenzhou and represents a new form of folk burial custom, following stone-chambered graves, burial mounds, earthen pit tombs, brick-chambered tombs, and hanging coffins. It provides further insights into the local customs and traditions of Wenzhou.

On January 7, 2011, it was designated as part of the Sixth Batch of Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Huangtan Town: Huangtan Town is a town under the jurisdiction of Wencheng County, Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province. Located in the southwestern part of Wencheng, it is 10 kilometers from the county seat, covering an area of 75.8 square kilometers. The town administers 36 administrative villages with a population of 22,000. The town center sits at an elevation of 320 meters and borders Jinlu Township to the east, Julu Town to the southeast, Shaxi Town to the south, Yunhu Township to the west, Fu’ao Township to the north, and Longchuan Township to the northeast. The largest tributary in the area is the Huangtan Stream. The terrain is mainly mountainous and hilly, characteristic of a typical mid-high mountain and hilly region. The town is primarily an agricultural hub, with piglets and watermelons being... More details about Huangtan Town++

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units