Songshan Ancient Tomb

Songshan Ancient Tomb

Songshan Ancient Tomb is a cultural relic protection unit of Anhui Province.

Songshan Ancient Tomb is a cultural relic protection unit of Anhui Province, announced on May 4, 1998. Dating back to the Three Kingdoms period, Wu Kingdom, it is located in Yushan Township, Ma'anshan City. In 1987, provincial archaeologists excavated the tomb, which consists of a passageway, front chamber, two side chambers, a transverse chamber, a corridor, and a single rear chamber—showcasing a complex structure. The tomb is nearly 18 meters long in total, and the sides of its bricks bear molded relief inscriptions with auspicious phrases such as “Prosperity for Ten Thousand Generations” and “Wealth and Nobility for Myriad Homes,” as well as patterns of wuzhu coins. Over 30 pieces of celadon ware were unearthed from the tomb, among which the celadon chicken-head pot is considered a masterpiece of Six Dynasties ceramics. Given its large scale, the tomb holds significant importance for the study of the cultural customs of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period.

During the Eastern Wu period, large tombs of high-ranking nobles buried in the area around present-day Caishi in Ma'anshan featured uniquely inscribed bricks. This site was a burial ground for nobles of the Eastern Wu. Two chicken-head pots and one tiger-head pot were unearthed from the Songshan Tomb—both exquisite pieces of Yue kiln ceramics. Based on the tomb’s structure, burial objects, and the unique inscribed bricks, it can be determined that the tomb most likely dates to the middle to late period of Eastern Wu. Compared to the contemporary Tomb of Zhu Ran, the Songshan Tomb is only about a decade later in time but more than twice as large. It is considered an extra-large tomb of the Eastern Wu period. The artifacts unearthed from the Songshan Tomb of Eastern Wu are indeed extraordinary. For instance, two celadon jars are significantly larger than the largest jar unearthed from the Tomb of Zhu Ran, which stands 32 cm high and has a belly diameter of 42 cm, along with a coin-patterned jar. A lacquered zither rest unearthed measures 73.5 cm in length, 10.5 cm in width, and 55 cm in thickness—not only 4 cm longer than the one from the Tomb of Zhu Ran but also crafted with more refined techniques. A large number of exquisitely crafted lacquerware fragments were also found. These lacquer items originated from the Shu Kingdom and were luxury foreign lacquerware exclusively used by the nobility of the Eastern Wu court. During the tomb’s excavation, hexagonally shaped roof tiles from the Six Dynasties period and square bricks measuring 35 cm per side and 7 cm thick, featuring high-relief three-clawed dragon motifs, were also discovered. The dragons are depicted with elegant, lively, and fluid forms. It is speculated that there might have been structures such as a ceremonial hall or ancestral shrine above the tomb. The presence of these dragon-patterned bricks also indicates that this tomb could only belong to an emperor. In ancient times, the dragon symbolized the emperor. In the “Records of the Three Kingdoms: Book of Wu,” dragons are frequently mentioned. It is said that Sun Quan believed himself to be the sun, and thus, a dragon. Cao Buxing, a renowned painter of Eastern Wu, once painted a red dragon for Sun Quan. In the strictly hierarchical society of the time, the scale and grandeur of a tomb were strictly regulated according to the status of the deceased. Judging from the quality of the burial objects, the status of the tomb owner of the Songshan Tomb of Eastern Wu far exceeded that of Zhu Ran, who held the titles of Left Grand Marshal and Right Military Advisor.

Historical records state that Sun Quan was buried at Jiangshan, now known as Zhongshan Mountain in Nanjing, in what is called the Zhong Tomb. Sun Liang was buried at Laixiang, present-day Jiangning County in Jiangsu. Sun Hao was buried within the boundaries of Henan County. However, the “Records of the Three Kingdoms” does not specify the burial site of Sun Xiu’s Ding Tomb. Hu Sanxing, a historian and textual researcher of the Southern Song Dynasty, investigated: “The Lingkou is located northeast of Niuzhu, at a garrison post. Now it is determined that the tomb of Emperor Jing of Wu is at Caishi Mountain, northwest of Dangtu County. This so-called Lingkou should be named after this place.” The geographical location of the Songshan Tomb matches this description very closely. Emperor Jing of Wu, Sun Xiu, was buried in the seventh year of Yong’an, which is 264 AD—a time corresponding to the middle to late Eastern Wu period. Therefore, the timing also aligns perfectly with the Songshan Tomb. Tang Dynasty poet Xie Li, when ascending the Lingkou Terrace at Xiaohuangshan in Dangtu County, wrote: “At the valley’s mouth, birds hasten through the urgent spring rain; at the ferry, sails open against the setting sun. The two mausoleums lie just beyond the river mist, where tinkling ornaments should echo beneath the moonlit terrace.” Xiaohuangshan in Dangtu County is not far from Niuzhu Mountain, and the land between them is flat. Before the Tang Dynasty, most of this area was covered by the Yangtze River. Standing on the Lingkou Terrace of Xiaohuangshan, one could clearly see Niuzhu. The “two mausoleums” the poet referred to were undoubtedly the tombs of Sun Ce and Sun Xiu—the Gujiadun Tomb and the Songshan Tomb. Ming Dynasty poet Yang Jie also wrote upon ascending the Lingkou Terrace at Xiaohuangshan: “The six dragons have vanished without a trace, leaving wildflowers and birds to reminisce in vain. Will the emerald-plumed whip come or not? Year after year, fragrant grass carpets Jing Tomb’s mound.” This “Jing Tomb” naturally refers to the Ding Tomb of Emperor Jing, Sun Xiu. These two bricks were found in the stone pile in front of the great Songshan Tomb, and they should feature wuzhu coin patterns.

The Songshan Ancient Tomb, majestic and well-preserved, is believed to be the tomb of Sun Xiu of Eastern Wu. With the Songshan Ancient Tomb at its center, within a one-kilometer radius lie the famous sites of Caishi Rocks, Cuiluo Mountain, Baoji Mountain, and Wangfu Mountain, all rich in cultural heritage.

Protected Area: 50 meters outside the tomb itself.

Construction Control Zone: 50 meters beyond the protected area.