Tomb of Wang Xizhi

Tomb of Wang Xizhi

The Tomb of Wang Xizhi is a Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Jin Ting Tomb of Wang Xizhi is located on Waterfall Mountain in Jin Ting Township, over 20 kilometers east of Shengzhou City. Jin Ting was where the Sage of Calligraphy, Wang Xizhi, spent his later years in retreat and where he was buried after his death at the foot of the Waterfall Mountain in Jin Ting Township. According to the "Shan Lu," it states: “The tomb of Wang Youjun is fifty li within Xiaojia Township, fifty li to the east of the county.” The current tomb was renovated in 1984. It faces south, is circular, and built with blue flagstones. In front of the tomb lies a bluestone platform, in the center of which stands a stone stele. The front of the stele is inscribed with “Tomb of Wang Youjun of the Jin Dynasty,” covered by a square stone pavilion with a single-eave hip-and-gable roof. The area features ancient cypresses shading the sunlight, waterfalls cascading down pools, verdant mountains encircling the site, and meandering streams — a truly picturesque scene. It is a Provincial-Level Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

In his later years, Wang Xizhi moved to Jin Ting in Shan (present-day Jin Ting Town, Shengzhou City, Zhejiang Province), where he spent his twilight years in the company of contemporary scholars such as Xie An, indulging in the beauty of nature. After his passing, he was buried at the foot of the Waterfall Mountain (historically believed to be one of Taoism’s blessed lands). Originally, there was a grand “Jin Ting Guan” (Jin Ting Temple) situated below the tomb. Unfortunately, it was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. Due to its ingenious and unique structure, it can no longer be restored. The Shengzhou Municipal Government is now investing tens of millions to protect the tomb site and has begun constructing the “Sage of Calligraphy Park.” In the future, this will become another sacred site for calligraphy after the Orchid Pavilion — a joyous occasion for the calligraphy community.

Jin Ting (also known as Hua Tang) still houses the ancestral temple of Wang Xizhi, whose descendants number in the tens of thousands, extending to fifty-nine generations. Among them, there are still many who are fond of calligraphy.

Located on Waterfall Mountain in Jin Ting Town, over 20 kilometers east of Shengzhou City, Zhejiang Province, it is currently a key cultural relics protection unit of the city. Historical records state that Wang Xizhi was buried here. The site features ancient cypresses shading the sunlight, waterfalls cascading down pools, verdant mountains encircling the area, and meandering streams — a truly beautiful landscape.

In the eastern part of Shengzhou City, at the southwestern foot of the Siming Mountains, lies a renowned historical site — the Tomb of Wang Xizhi. Surrounded by green mountains and clear streams, ancient texts describe the place as “magnificently forming the splendor of a blessed land and serving as the spiritual origin of a paradise.” The Tomb of Wang Xizhi is situated on the scenic Waterfall Mountain.

At the foot of Waterfall Mountain lies a small village called Hou Chang, originally inhabited by those assigned to tend to Wang Xizhi’s tomb. Beside the village stands an old stone memorial archway, inscribed with the six characters “Wang Youjun Tomb Path.” This master calligrapher moved with his family from Shandong to Shaoxing, served as the Prefect of Kuaiji, and held the title of “Right General,” hence being referred to as “Wang Youjun.” Later, due to a falling out with General Wang Shu, he claimed illness and resigned from office, relocating to Jin Ting. The stone archway was erected in the 29th year of the Daoguang reign (1849) by his descendants. Passing through the archway leads to an ancient stone path paved with cobblestones, now faintly visible. Walking north along the ancient path, to the left are several residences, and to the right is a mountain stream cascading down the slope, splashing white water day and night. Villagers say that on rainy days, one can even see the Dragon Pool Waterfall halfway up the mountain, thundering down from the Dragon Pool like a curtain — a major scenic attraction in Jin Ting. It was precisely this stunning natural beauty that led Wang Xizhi, having traveled all over the landscapes of Yue, to choose Jin Ting as his retreat in his later years. Beyond the White Stone Bridge lies a newly built wide tomb path paved with bluestones, flanked by lush arborvitae that guard the secluded path leading to the Tomb of Wang Xizhi. Ascending dozens of stone steps, one arrives at a bluestone platform where the Tomb of Youjun can be seen. The tomb is circular, built with bluestone slabs, with green grass swaying atop. In front of the tomb stands a single-eave, corner-lifting square stone pavilion, housing a bluestone stele. The front is inscribed with “Tomb of Wang Youjun,” while the back reads: “Re-erected on the 25th day of the third month in the tenth year of the Hongzhi era of the Ming Dynasty (1497) by Wu [illegible characters], Right Councillor of the Provincial Administration Commission of Zhejiang and other regions.” Historical records describe Wang Xizhi as an upright man with a strong desire to contribute to society. His most outstanding achievement was in calligraphy, for which he is revered as the “Sage of Calligraphy.”

Opposite Waterfall Mountain stands Five Elders Peak, locally known as Brush-Hanging Peak. Legend says that every time Wang Xizhi wrote, a fox spirit from the mountain would transform into a beautiful maiden to spread paper and grind ink for the “Sage of Calligraphy,” even using her tail as a brush to help him create miraculous works. After finishing his calligraphy and paintings, the Sage would hang his brush on Five Elders Peak, which thus became known as Brush-Hanging Mountain. This legend deifies the “Sage of Calligraphy.” In reality, Wang Xizhi practiced calligraphy day and night, washing his brushes and inkstones so frequently that he turned a crystal-clear lotus pond black — the pond became known as “Ink Pond.” It was his relentless effort that gave his brush strokes exceptional strength, capable of penetrating paper. Once, when visiting a friend who wasn’t home, Wang Xizhi left a few words behind, and the ink seeped through the paper onto the tea table beneath, which the friend’s father could never clean off — giving rise to the idiom “penetrating three layers of wood” (meaning extremely profound). These tales of diligence and practice are scattered among the people like pearls, becoming cherished stories used to educate future generations. Indeed, what the “Sage of Calligraphy” left behind is far more than just calligraphy described as “floating like clouds, leaping like dragons”! On the wider sections of the tomb path are planted dozens of cherry blossom trees, brought and personally planted by Japanese friends Nagahiro Akimitsu and Miyahara Toshiko, who traveled across the ocean. They admired Wang’s versatile and graceful calligraphy style and made the long journey to Jin Ting to pay homage at the Tomb of Wang Xizhi. Calligraphy has drawn hearts together across national boundaries.

A few dozen steps from the stone archway stand several thousand-year-old cypresses, providing dense shade. Historical records indicate that this area once had Jin Ting Guan, Youjun Shrine, Imperial Ink Edict Pavilion, and Goose Pond. Though renovated many times, with the passage of time, many of these ancient sites have been reduced to mere traces for people to seek. Only the blessed scenery of the “blessed land” continues to accompany the spirit of the Sage of Calligraphy.

Address: Waterfall Mountain, Jin Ting Town, Shengzhou City, Shaoxing

Type: Cemetery/Tomb Site

Recommended Visit Duration: 30–60 minutes

Opening Hours:

Open all day

Transportation

Public Transport: Buses from Hangzhou East Railway Station to Shengzhou run from 6:50 AM to 6:20 PM, every 30 minutes. From Shengzhou, take a bus to Shengzhou East Station, then transfer to a frequent express minibus.

Self-Drive: Take the Shangsan Expressway, then Route 104 through Shengzhou, heading toward Huatang direction; it takes about 40 minutes.

Wang Xizhi (303–361 AD, some sources say 321–379 AD), the renowned calligrapher of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, revered as the “Sage of Calligraphy,” and collectively known as one of the “Two Wangs” with his son Wang Xianzhi. Wang Xizhi excelled in clerical, cursive, regular, and running scripts. He meticulously studied the structure of characters, emulated and refined techniques from various masters, and integrated diverse styles into a unique and influential approach, breaking away from the calligraphic styles of the Han and Wei dynasties. His representative works include the “Yellow Court Scripture,” “Ode to Yue Yi,” “Seventeen Scrolls,” “Preface to the Poems Composed at the Orchid Pavilion,” and “First Moon Scroll,” among which the “Orchid Pavilion Preface” is hailed as the “Number One Running Script in the World.” Wang Xizhi passed away in 361 AD... More details on Wang Xizhi ++

Jin Ting Town: The former jurisdictions of Jin Ting Town and Beizhang Town were merged to form the new Jin Ting Town. After the administrative adjustment, Jin Ting Town covers an area of 159.41 square kilometers, with a population of 41,999, encompassing 22 administrative villages. The town government is located at No. 2 Binjiang West Road, Jin Ting Village (the original site of the Jin Ting Town government).

A town under the jurisdiction of Shengzhou City. Established as Xinhe Township in 1956, reorganized as a commune in 1961, renamed Jin Ting Commune in 1981, and upgraded to a town in 1992. Located in the eastern part of the city, 20 kilometers from downtown. Covers an area of 75 square kilometers with a population of 30,000. The Shengzhou–Ningbo Highway runs through the area... More details on Jin Ting Town ++

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units