Tomb of Ma Zhen

Tomb of Ma Zhen

The Tomb of Ma Zhen is a cultural relic protection unit of Zhejiang Province.

During the Eastern Han Dynasty, the southwestern part of Kuaiji Shanyin (present-day Shaoxing City) was surrounded by lofty mountains, while the northeastern area was low-lying. The Cao’e River swept along the eastern border, and the Puyang River flowed through the western region, both connecting to Hangzhou Bay. Whenever tidal waters flowed backward or mountain torrents erupted, the northeastern plains were inundated, turning into a vast expanse of water, a swampy wasteland that became a calamity for the people. In the fifth year of the Yonghe era during the reign of Emperor Shun (140 AD), Ma Zhen was appointed as the Prefect of Kuaiji. A native of the region, he was well aware of the hardships faced by the people. After taking office, he surveyed the terrain, devised plans, and organized the local populace to level high mounds and tame the raging waters. With the Kuaiji prefectural city at its center, he constructed the East Lake Dyke from Wuyun Gate to the Cao’e River, stretching 72 li, and the West Lake Dyke from Changxi Gate to the Puyang River, spanning 55 li. This is the world-renowned “Mirror Lake.” Long before Mirror Lake took shape, this marshland was known as Qing Lake. Since the Eastern Han Dynasty, it has also been called Hejia Lake, South Lake, Longhu, Hejian Lake, Jian Lake, and Zhao Lake, named either for its geographical features, celebrated poetic lines, imperial taboos, or changes in ownership. The Song Dynasty scholar Wu Zeng mentioned in *Nenggai Zhai Manlu* that the Eastern Jin calligrapher Wang Xizhi once wrote, “Traveling the road of Shanyin is like wandering in a mirror,” which led to the name “Mirror Lake.” However, according to Xie Cheng’s *Biographies of Eminent Figures of Kuaiji*, the name “Mirror Lake” was already in use by the Three Kingdoms period at the latest. Chen Zhenxun of the Song Dynasty, in *Zhizhai Shulu Jieti*, noted: “It was renamed Mirror Lake to avoid the taboo of Emperor An of Han’s father, the King of Qinghe.” The ancient Mirror Lake, as recorded by the Song Dynasty’s Ouyang Xiu in the preface to the *Yuezhou Jianhu Map*, covered an area “south merging with the mountains, north extending to the prefectural canal, and stretching 160 li east to west, encircling 358 li in total,” encompassing all 36 sources of mountain and river waters within its span. Embracing mountains and rivers, its grandeur was overwhelming. The Ming Dynasty scholar Gu Yanwu wrote, “All the crisscrossing waterways are remnants of the old Mirror Lake.” Today’s “Hutang,” “Rongshan Lake,” “Chuli Lake,” “Baita Yang,” and the dense network of rivers and creeks in Shaoxing are all remains of Mirror Lake. This shows just how vast and magnificent Mirror Lake once was. To facilitate water storage and drainage, Ma Zhen also built three major sluice gates: the Guangling Sluice drained water from West Lake into the Puyang River, the Songkou Sluice discharged water from East Lake into the Cao’e River, and the Zhuchu Sluice served dual purposes of drainage and irrigation. He also constructed numerous gates, weirs, and underground channels. Over 9,000 hectares of barren, reed-covered land north of Mirror Lake, west of the Cao’e River, and east of the Puyang River were transformed into fertile fields abundant with rice and wheat. However, this massive project inevitably damaged the lakefront farmlands, residences, and ancestral tombs that had been appropriated by local landlords and gentry, provoking their resentment. They hatched a malicious scheme, fabricating charges against Ma Zhen—misappropriating state funds, destroying ancestral tombs, flooding fertile fields, and drowning civilians—and submitted a joint petition to the imperial court. Ma Zhen was wrongfully imprisoned and later executed in public. Upon retrial, it was discovered that the accusations were based on forged signatures of deceased individuals. Though Ma Zhen died unjustly, Mirror Lake survived and played a vital role in agricultural production for over a thousand years. To commemorate him, successive generations have built his tomb and shrine.

The Tomb of Ma Zhen is located two li south of Jian, on the eastern shore of Mirror Lake. The tomb faces south, with fields stretching out before it and Ting Mountain directly ahead. In front of the tomb stands a solemn blue stone memorial archway inscribed with the four large characters “Tomb of King Lizhi,” donated in the Dingmao year (1807) of the Jiaqing era of the Qing Dynasty by Zhang Yuanxi, a candidate for provincial governor, among others. “King Lizhi” was the title bestowed by Emperor Renzong of the Northern Song in the early Jiayou era. Passing through the archway, one faces the burial mound, encircled by strip stones, with a memorial stele at the front inscribed with “Tomb of Ma Gong, Governor of Kuaiji Prefecture in the Eastern Han Dynasty, Bestowed the Title of King Lizhi by Imperial Decree,” erected in February of the 56th year of the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty when Prefect Yu Shouqing renovated the tomb. Beside the tomb is a temple, also facing south. Established in the Kaiyuan era of the Tang Dynasty (713 AD), it was expanded and renovated by Observer Meng Jian in the 10th year of the Yuanhe era (815 AD). Since the Song Dynasty, it has undergone multiple reconstructions. The current Ma Zhen Temple was rebuilt in the late Qing Dynasty. The temple complex consists of two courtyards. The first courtyard is the front hall, with three bays in width and a rolled awning-style front porch. Beyond the front hall, past a square courtyard, lies the main hall. The eastern and western walls of the main hall originally featured 32 murals depicting Magistrate Ma’s water management efforts, with faint traces still visible today.

Fushan Subdistrict: Located in the western part of Shaoxing’s urban area, Fushan Subdistrict covers a territorial area of 14.82 square kilometers, with a permanent population of 67,000 (23,000 households) and a floating population of 21,000. It administers 5 villages, 10 urban communities, 5 rural communities, and 13 economic cooperatives. The subdistrict’s Party Working Committee and Office are located at No. 80, Houjie of Jianhu, Yuecheng District, Shaoxing City, and house departments including the Comprehensive Party-Government Office, Economic Development Office, Social Affairs Management Office, Comprehensive Governance Office, and Urban Management and Law Enforcement Office. The area blends the ancient civilization of Yue with modern culture, featuring the King of Yue City, the renowned gardens of the Sui and Tang... More details about Fushan Subdistrict++

Further Reading:

· Second Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Zhejiang Province