Tomb of Yuan Shao

Tomb of Yuan Shao

The Tomb of Yuan Shao is a cultural tourism attraction.

The tomb of Yuan Shao, Duke of Yue, is located in Jiejia Village, Guanhaiwei Town, Cixi City, bordering Liduhu Lake to the north. According to the Guangxu-era Cixi County Annals, “The tomb of Yuan Shao, Duke of Yue and Privy Councilor, lies fifty li northwest of the county at the foot of the twin peaks of Duhu Mountain.”

Yuan Shao, courtesy name Yanchun, was a native of Yin County. He passed the imperial examination in 1187 during the Chunxi era of the Southern Song Dynasty and served as magistrate of Wujiang during the Jiatai era. In the Jiading era, he was summoned to serve as a scribe in the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, later rising through the ranks to become Vice Minister of Revenue, Minister of Revenue, and Prefect of Lin’an. He was known for handling legal cases with simplicity and fairness, earning the local nickname “Buddha’s Son,” and for overturning many wrongful convictions. In the early Shaoding era, he was appointed as Vice Chancellor, then sent out to serve as Commander of Zhejiang West. In the early Duanting era, he died while supervising the Dongxiao Palace. Later, due to posthumous honors granted by the emperor, he was successively awarded the titles of Grand Tutor and Duke of Yue. His biography appears in the History of the Song Dynasty, the Jiajing Prefecture Annals, the Yin County Annals, and the Dictionary of Chinese Biographies.

The Tomb of Yuan Shao is quite large and is locally referred to as the King’s Tomb. The mausoleum is built against the mountain, featuring stone steps, a ceremonial hall, and a stone pavilion. The spirit way stretches about half a li from west to east, lined with a stone memorial archway and ornamental pillars. In front of the tomb are pairs of stone statues including civil and military officials, stone horses, stone sheep, stone tigers, and a horse tethering post, all arranged in imposing grandeur. After the construction of the Liduhu Reservoir during the Great Leap Forward in 1958, local authorities gradually dismantled the memorial archway, ornamental pillars, and perimeter stonework of the tomb for other uses. Later, rumors spread that the so-called “King’s Tomb” contained a six-jin-four-liang golden head, leading to extensive grave robberies that severely damaged this ancient tomb over seven hundred years old. To this day, a pair of stone horses remain in front of the tomb, each 1.3 meters tall and 1.7 meters long, with saddles on their backs, reins around their heads, flowing manes, and tails hanging down. They are exquisitely sculpted with lively detail. A pair of stone military officials also survive intact, standing 3.3 meters tall with a 2.4-meter chest circumference, wearing commander’s caps, armor, and heart-shaped chest guards, with swords resting on the ground, conveying a majestic presence. There is also a pair of stone civil officials (their heads were broken off during the Cultural Revolution but the northern one was restored in 1982 by the Cultural Relics Management Committee), each 3.3 meters tall with a 2.1-meter chest circumference, dressed in official robes with wide sleeves and round collars, wearing court boots and holding ceremonial tablets, rendered in lifelike detail. In 1994, the head of the northern civil official statue was stolen again and is now lost. Additionally, the village still retains one stone tiger and one horse tethering post.

The types and quantity of stone carvings arranged along the spirit way in front of Yuan Shao’s Tomb are ample evidence that this was the burial site of a first-rank official of the Southern Song Dynasty. It is also the only surviving feudal noble’s tomb within Cixi City to date, possessing significant historical, artistic, and scientific research value. In August 1986, it was designated as a Cultural Relics Protection Unit (third batch) by the People’s Government of Cixi County.

Yuan Shao (1161–1237), courtesy name Yanchun, was a native of Qingyuan Prefecture (now Ningbo). He was an official of the Southern Song Dynasty.

Biography: Passed the imperial examination in the 14th year of the Chunxi era.

During the Jiatai era, he served as magistrate of Wujiang County. In that role, he reformed the household registration and corvée systems, clashing with Su Shidan.

Later, he was transferred to serve as magistrate of Tonglu County, where he petitioned to abolish unnecessary levies on stone quarrying, earning the affection of the local people.

In the 4th year of the Jiading era, he was summoned to serve as a scribe in the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. The people of Tonglu saw him off in a procession all the way to Fuyang.

He once served as Right Ministry Langzhong, hosting and accompanying envoys from the Jin Dynasty without compromising national dignity.

He served as Prefect of Lin’an for nearly ten years... More details on Yuan Shao++

Guanhaiwei Town: Located in the eastern part of Cixi City, Guanhaiwei Town covers an area of 150.20 square kilometers and has a total population of 200,000, including 50,000 migrants. Guanhaiwei is the eastern wing of Cixi City’s “one body, two wings” urban development strategy, as well as a provincial and municipal central town and a pilot town for comprehensive small-town reforms in the province.

Guanhaiwei Town enjoys favorable conditions for economic development, with notable progress in both economic and social sectors. In 2001, the town’s GDP reached 2.064 billion yuan, per capita GDP was 13,760 yuan, and fiscal revenue was 114 million yuan. Guanhaiwei... More details on Guanhaiwei Town++