Shihu Mountain Tianzi Tomb

Shihu Mountain Tianzi Tomb

Shihu Mountain Tianzi Tomb is a cultural heritage site protected by Jixi County.

Shihu Mountain Tianzi Tomb

Situated on Shihu Mountain in Yuchuan, the tomb is enclosed by mountains on all sides, with rich vegetation. It has an oval layout and originates from the Southern Dynasties period. The main tomb measures 15 meters in length, 5.2 meters in width, and 3 meters in height; the tomb chamber spans 11 meters by 9.5 meters in a semi-circular form; the tombstone stands 1 meter high and 0.39 meters wide, inscribed with “Tomb of the Ancestor Lord Chen Meng.” The base of the stele is 0.66 meters wide and 0.40 meters high. The Tianzi Tomb covers a total area of 382 square meters, including 78 square meters for the main tomb and 304 square meters for the tomb chamber. According to the Jiaqing-era Jixi County Annals, the tomb of Chen Meng, Prefect of Ancheng during the Liu Song Dynasty, is located on Shihu Mountain in Badu. The Chen Clan Genealogy from Shuichuan in the Guangxu era states that Chen Meng was the great-grandfather of Emperor Wu of Chen, who overthrew the Liang Dynasty and established the Chen Dynasty in 557 AD. As the tomb of the emperor’s great-grandfather, it is thus called the Tianzi Tomb (Tomb of the Heavenly Son). This is a joint burial site for Lord Chen Meng and his wife, Lady Hu. Although historically looted, the tomb remains largely intact and holds significant cultural and historical value.