Tomb of Jin Zhong and the Epitaph Stele

Tomb of Jin Zhong and the Epitaph Stele

The Tomb of Jin Zhong and the Epitaph Stele is a cultural relics protection unit of Yinzhou District.

The Tomb of Jin Zhong is located on the eastern slope of Baibu Mountain in Hanling Village, formerly part of Dongqian Lake Town, about 50 li southeast of present-day Ningbo City. It is now under the jurisdiction of the Dongqian Lake Management Committee and was designated as a fifth batch county-level cultural relics protection unit in 1994.

Jin Zhong, courtesy name Shizhong, was a native of Hanling in Yin County. He assisted Prince Yan, Zhu Di, in seizing power from Emperor Hui. For his meritorious service, he was promoted to Minister of War and concurrently served as the Director of the Directorate of Education. After his death, he was posthumously honored as Grand Master for Glorious Happiness, Junior Mentor, and granted the posthumous title Zhongxiang. The tomb faces east and backs onto Baibu Mountain, overlooking Dongqian Lake, with the Baihu (White Tiger) Mountain and Qinglong (Azure Dragon) Mountain extending north-south on either side. The entire tomb complex consists of the burial chamber and the spirit way. Along the mountainside lies the stele pavilion of the spirit way, which has now collapsed, but the stele remains. The stele stands 2.3 meters tall and is 1 meter wide, inscribed in regular script recounting Jin Zhong’s life and achievements. It was composed by Yang Shiqi, then a Hanlin Academician, and features a seal script inscription at the top. The calligraphy is neat, fluid, and vigorous. This epitaph stele holds significant value for the study of Jin Zhong’s life and the art of calligraphy.