Yu Shan’s Tomb

Yu Shan’s Tomb

Yu Shan’s Tomb is a cultural relic protection unit of Anhui Province.

Yu Shan’s Tomb is located on Xizi Dun in Yuye Village, Xizi Lake Town. The tomb area borders the lake and originally consisted of a burial pit, a burial mound, an offering platform, stone statues, and a stone memorial archway. The rear half of the burial mound encircles the burial pit, with a three-tiered offering platform in front of the mound. On the platform, from top to bottom, are pairs of stone officials and stone horses, all round carvings in bluestone. A stone memorial archway once stood in front of the platform, though it no longer exists. It is a key cultural relic protection unit of Anhui Province.

Yu Shan, courtesy name Dehui, was a successful candidate in the imperial examination during the third year of the Zhengde reign of the Ming Dynasty (1508) and served as an intendant. He was known for his integrity in office and his courage in speaking out against injustice. During the Jiajing reign, he submitted a memorial titled “Ten Declines,” spanning over ten thousand words, all of which addressed current malpractices. “After thirty years in officialdom,” he only had “a few old thatched cottages to shelter him from wind and rain.” “He died in office and could not even afford a proper funeral.”

Protected area: 20 meters beyond the boundary lines on the east, south, west, and north sides of the tomb area.

Construction control zone: 50 meters beyond the protected area on the east, south, west, and north sides.

Source: Tongcheng Cultural Relics and Museums

In Xizi Lake, Tongcheng, there is a small island called Xizi Dun. Amid the lush vegetation of Xizi Dun lies a fairly large ancient tomb known as “Yu Shan’s Tomb.” The spirit way in front of the tomb is well preserved, with stone figures and stone horses still standing, making it a provincially designated protected cultural relic site. Who was Yu Shan? Historical records state: “Yu Shan, from Tongcheng in the Ming Dynasty, courtesy name Dehui, also known as Zhucheng. He was a successful candidate in the imperial examination in the third year of the Zhengde reign (1508), initially appointed as an imperial envoy and later promoted to imperial censor.”

So he was essentially an official overseeing disciplinary inspection. The duty of such officials was to monitor public conduct and fight against misconduct. However, this kind of struggle often presented extremely delicate circumstances, because... More details about Yu Shan++