Stone Carvings Along the Tomb Approach of Shi Mizhong

Stone Carvings Along the Tomb Approach of Shi Mizhong

The stone carvings along the tomb approach of Shi Mizhong are a Yinzhou District cultural relic protection unit.

The stone carvings along the tomb approach of Shi Mizhong are located on Wangfen Mountain in Lianhe Village, Wuxiang Town, Yinzhou District, and were designated as a district-level cultural relic protection unit on April 5, 2005.

The tomb approach is situated on the southern slope of Wangfen Mountain and faces south. It is a large-scale tomb approach architectural complex that integrates a memorial archway, ornamental columns, stone bamboo shoots, stone sheep, a small bridge, stone tigers, stone horses, stone stelae, and stone statues of officials. The site has an imposing atmosphere and majestic presence. Due to its remote location and relatively late discovery, most of the stone carvings have been damaged to varying degrees, except for six tomb guardian statues which remain intact. Among them, the tomb chamber was destroyed around the 1970s.

Shi Mizhong, styled Liangshu and also known as Zizhai, was a native of Yinxhou. He was the eldest son of the prominent Shi family of the Southern Song Dynasty, Shi Jian, and the father of Shi Songzhi (the Right Prime Minister of the Southern Song Dynasty), bearing the generational name Qiansanjiu. He passed the imperial examination in 1187 during the Chunxi era, served as Grand Academician of the Zizheng Hall, held the title of Jinzi Guanglu Daifu (a high-ranking official title), was posthumously honored as Shaoshi (Junior Preceptor) and Military Governor of Bao'ning Army, granted the title of Duke of Qi, and given the posthumous name Wenjing. According to the "Shi Family Genealogy": “His wife was Lady Sun, who was granted the title of Duchess of Qi and Wei... They were buried together in Sheng’ao, Yangtang Township (now Lianhe Village, Wuxiang Town), where the Shouguo Temple was built, and the Loubu Academy was established in Xiazhuang.”

The tomb approach stretches approximately 51.70 meters from north to south, and 9.90 meters from east to west. It follows the contour of the mountain, gradually ascending from south to north. Based on the ground elevation of the stone horse, the stone sheep is at -1.50 meters, the stone warrior at +1.98 meters, and the civil official statue at +3.00 meters. The distance between the civil and military officials is 3.37 meters, between the military official and the stone horse is 33.03 meters, between the stone horse and the upper stream of the small creek is 5.811 meters, and between the small creek and the stone sheep is 2.004 meters. The sizes of the stone statues are as follows: The pair of civil officials are similar in size, their bodies integrated with the stone pedestal, standing 3.45 meters tall in total, with the pedestal being 0.30 meters high, 0.85 meters wide, and 0.64 meters deep. The pair of military officials are similarly matched, their bodies connected to the stone pedestal, standing 3.915 meters in total height, with the pedestal 0.265 meters high, 0.82 meters wide, and 0.62 meters deep. The pair of stone horses are similarly sized, connected to their pedestals, with the highest point reaching 2.075 meters and the longest length being 2.76 meters, including a pedestal 0.26 meters high, 0.54 meters wide, and 1.85 meters deep. The stone sheep reaches a maximum height of 1.32 meters, with the pedestal about 0.15 meters high, 0.45 meters wide, and 1.13 meters deep.

The stone horses of this tomb approach feature prominently raised saddles, with thin, flowing saddle cloths and peony patterns carved into the saddle blankets. The hindquarters of the horses are adorned with three faintly visible whips that appear to lash automatically, adding a sense of dynamic motion within the stillness for artistic effect. Only a section of the stone tiger’s hindquarters remains. One complete stone sheep survives, exquisitely carved and partially buried in soil. Only a fragment of a stone bamboo shoot remains, with a maximum diameter of 0.44 meters. Of the ornamental columns (tomb pillars), only the distinctly Song Dynasty-style lotus-leaf capital remains, with a socket on the body, originally meant to connect with the top. The lotus leaf has a maximum diameter of 0.8 meters and is 1 meter high; the surviving cloud-wing fragment of the column is 1.07 meters long and 0.6 meters wide. The scale of these large fragments attests to the once towering grandeur of the ornamental columns and allows us to imagine the immense magnificence of the entire tomb approach.

This set of tomb-front stone carvings is exquisitely crafted, large in scale, proportionally balanced, and lifelike in expression, showcasing the exceptional skill and unique artistic style of the ancient craftsmen of Yinzhou.