Peacock Tomb and Liujiashan

Peacock Tomb and Liujiashan

The Peacock Tomb is located at the confluence of the Mei River and the Wan River, fifteen li southeast of Qianshan County at the border between Qian and Huai counties, in Xiaoligang of Huaining County. After walking through the old street of Xiaoligang and reaching the new street, you will soon see the turtle-shaped Peacock Tomb. Although a grain storage warehouse of the Xiaoligang Grain Station has been built here, the landform still retains the features of an ancient tomb. From here, going another two li southeast leads to Liujiashan, the hometown of Liu Lanzhi, the female protagonist of China’s first narrative long poem “The Peacock Flies Southeast.”

Liujiashan is dotted with clusters of village houses nestled among green trees and bamboo. Not far in front of the village lies a pond overgrown with bulrushes. Legend has it that Liu Lanzhi drowned herself here. Generations of locals know that Liu Lanzhi’s elder brother, Liu Da, ran a tavern in Xiaoligang—a smooth-talking, opportunistic rascal. About three or four li further is a stone bridge known as Lanqi Bridge, referenced in the poem as the spot where she “lingered five li away.” Some local elders not only know the story of Liu Lanzhi but also pass down many legends and customs related to “The Peacock Flies Southeast.” For instance, a cruel mother-in-law who torments her daughter-in-law is called “Jiao Bazha”; a lazy, good-for-nothing man is called “Liu Da”; a suffering daughter-in-law is referred to as “Kuzhizi”; and a clever, dexterous young girl is called “Qiaojie’er.” On every Mid-Autumn night in August, a needle-threading competition is held under the moonlight. A respected elderly woman serves as the judge— the fastest threader is called “Qiaojie,” and the slowest is called “Zhennen.” It is said that Liu Lanzhi was once honored as Qiaojie during one of these competitions. As written in the poem: “On the seventh and the nineteenth, let’s not forget our games”—a line that includes this very tale.