Tombs of the Kings of Wuyue

Tombs of the Kings of Wuyue

The Tombs of the Kings of Wuyue are a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level.

The Lin'an Tombs of the Kings of Wuyue are located in Jincheng Town and Linglong Town, Lin'an City, Zhejiang Province. Built during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, they are the burial site of the founder of the Wuyue Kingdom and date back over a thousand years. They are among the best-preserved imperial tombs in China and are designated as a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level. These tombs possess profound historical and cultural significance and abundant humanistic resources.

The tombs include the grave of Qian Liu, the first king of the Wuyue Kingdom, the tomb of Queen Ma, wife of the second king of Wuyue, and the tombs of Qian Liu’s parents, Qian Kuan and Lady Shuiqiu. Qian Liu’s tomb is situated on the southern slope of Taimiao Mountain, northeast of Jincheng Town, Lin'an City, covering an area of 120 mu. The site features a large earthen mound about 9 meters high and approximately 50 meters in both length and width, along with ornamental columns, stone horses, stone sheep, and the Temple of King Qian.

The tomb of Queen Ma, wife of the second king of the Wuyue Kingdom—known as Kangling—is located on the northeastern slope of Anji Mountain in Xiangli Village, Linglong Town, Lin'an City. The tomb is built with a brick corridor and stone chamber, divided into front, middle, and rear sections. The rear chamber contains a celestial map carved into the stone, while the four walls feature stone reliefs and painted peony designs. The front chamber also has murals. This tomb is currently the best-preserved and richest in content among the royal tombs of the Qian family of Wuyue.

The tombs of Qian Kuan and his wife, Lady Shuiqiu, are located on Mingtang Mountain in Xishu Village, Jincheng Town, Lin'an City, covering a total area of over 2,000 square meters. Both are boat-shaped brick structures divided into front and rear chambers. The rear chambers contain oval celestial maps depicting the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions and the Big Dipper. Among the unearthed artifacts from these tombs are fine examples of brown-glazed celadon from the Yue Kiln, representing some of the finest pieces of celadon ware.

Further Reading:

· Zhejiang Provincial Second Batch of Provincial-Level Archaeological Site Parks

· Fifth Batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level