Tomb of Gai Jiaotian

Tomb of Gai Jiaotian

The Tomb of Gai Jiaotian is a cultural relic protection unit of Hangzhou City.

On the hillside beside Yanggongdi in the western scenic area of Hangzhou stands a pavilion. The plaque above the entrance bears the striking characters "Learn Till Old Age," while the pillars feature a couplet that reads, "A legendary name at the Forked Crossroads, A masterpiece that shook the Earth at Ten-Cross Road." Behind the pavilion lies the tomb. This is the self-built resting place of Gai Jiaotian, a renowned Peking opera master of his generation. It was destroyed in the late 1960s and restored in 1985. Gai Jiaotian, originally named Zhang Yingjie, was from Baoding, Hebei Province, and an outstanding Peking opera performer in China. He inherited the fine traditions of Chinese theatrical arts and devoted himself tirelessly to artistic practice for decades, studying diligently, training hard, and actively exploring, eventually creating the distinctive "Gai School" style of performance art. On January 15, 1971, Gai Jiaotian passed away in Hangzhou, filled with regret, as a victim of the Cultural Revolution. His tomb is located at the foot of Dingjia Mountain, by the side of Xishan Road. In 1986, the Zhejiang Provincial People's Government renovated Gai Jiaotian’s tomb and moved his ashes here for reburial. The gatehouse and stone memorial archway in front of the tomb bear a plaque inscribed with "Learn Till Old Age" (calligraphy by Huang Binhong), a couplet reading "A legendary name at the Forked Crossroads, A masterpiece that shook the Earth at Ten-Cross Road" (composed and written by Wu Hufan), and another couplet that says "A true hero of the North, A living Wu Song of the South" (composed by Chen Yi, calligraphy by Sha Menghai). These words offer a true depiction and evaluation of Gai Jiaotian’s life.

Protected Area: The area within the protective fence surrounding the tomb on the east, south, and north sides, and extending to the road boundary line of Yanggongdi on the southwest, covering a total area of 1,458 square meters.

Construction Control Zone: The area extends approximately 20 meters outward from the protected area on the southeast, to the retaining line of Dingjia Mountain on the northeast, to the road boundary line of Yanggongdi on the southwest, and about 25 meters outward from the protected area on the northwest, covering a total area of 2,129 square meters.