Tomb Path of Chen Zongwen

Tomb Path of Chen Zongwen

The Tomb Path of Chen Zongwen is a cultural relic protection unit of Haishu District.

The Tomb Path of Chen Zongwen is located in Miaojia'ao, Simingshan Village, Jishigang Town, Haishu District. It was built during the Ming Dynasty. Although the tomb path and the stone carvings in front of the tomb have been severely damaged, the memorial archway and the burial site remain relatively well-preserved. The existing memorial archway is H-shaped, standing at the entrance of the tomb path, oriented 3 degrees southwest. It has a total height of 2.26 meters and a width of 2.70 meters. The lintel is 0.22 meters high and 0.15 meters wide. On the north side (facing inward), about 15 centimeters from the column tops, there are door pivots for installing the gate and supporting columns. The lintel does not extend beyond the columns, and on it are engraved ten large double-lined regular script characters reading “Tomb Path of Chen Gong, the Late-Ming Minister of Works,” in bold calligraphy.

About 30 meters from this archway, remnants of variously shaped archway components can be found, including one column top, 0.78 meters in remaining height with a cross-section of 0.33×0.33 meters, featuring carved cloud-and-thunder patterns. There is also a half remaining lotus-patterned column top. Approximately 100 meters behind the archway lie the tomb’s earthen mound and gravestone, which are relatively intact. The horizontal inscription on the gravestone is covered with moss, but upon close inspection, it appears to be the bold regular script characters reading “Tomb of Chen Zongwen of Luochuan,” in raised relief.

Chen Zongwen passed the imperial examination and became a Jinshi in the 24th year of the Hongwu era (1391). He served as Langzhong (senior official) of the Examination Bureau of the Ministry of Personnel and was posthumously honored as Minister of Works. The discovery of this tomb path provides physical evidence for the study of Ming Dynasty figures and burial architecture in our region, holding certain historical and cultural research value. In September 2010, it was designated as the ninth batch of district-level cultural relic protection units in Yinzhou District, and in 2016, it was transferred to Haishu District following an adjustment in Ningbo’s administrative divisions.

Simingshan Village: Simingshan Village is located in the semi-mountainous southwestern part of Jishigang Town, Haishu District, Ningbo City. It borders Yuyao City to the west, is 6 kilometers from Jishigang Town, and 15 kilometers from downtown Ningbo. The village covers an area of 4.2 square kilometers. Nestled against mountains and near water, it enjoys a beautiful environment. Lush forests lie behind the village, offering picturesque scenery, while the beautiful Xituo Reservoir is like a shining pearl embedded in the middle of the Jinping Mountain Orchard Base. The village currently has 422 farming households, a population of 1,146, 49 Party members, 1,027 mu of arable land, and 5,300 mu of forested land. Over the past few years, guided by the important thought of “-”, the village has earnestly implemented… More details about Simingshan Village++