Tomb of Tao An

Tomb of Tao An

The Tomb of Tao An is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Anhui Province.

The Tomb of Tao An is located in Yushan District, Ma'anshan City, dating back to the Ming Dynasty.

In 2019, the Tomb of Tao An was designated as part of the eighth batch of Provincial-Level Cultural Heritage Protection Units by the People's Government of Anhui Province.

Tao An (1312–1368), courtesy name Zhujing, was a native of Dangtu during the late Yuan and early Ming periods. He lost his father at the age of six but remained committed to his studies, mastering a thousand words a day and demonstrating exceptional intelligence. As he grew older, he studied under the brothers Li Xi, extensively reading a wide range of texts, with particular expertise in the Book of Changes (Yi Jing). In the fourth year of the Zhizheng era of the Yuan Dynasty (1344), he passed the provincial examination in Zhejiang. In the eighth year, he was appointed as the head of Mingdao Academy. In the winter of the fourteenth year, he returned home to visit family and stayed there to avoid the chaos of war. In the fifteenth year (1355), when Zhu Yuanzhang crossed the Yangtze River and arrived in Dangtu, Tao An, together with Li Xi and local elders, went to welcome and pay their respects. He was immediately summoned for an audience. Tao An offered Zhu Yuanzhang the following advice: “The realm is in great turmoil, with heroes vying for power. Your Excellency (referring to Zhu Yuanzhang) has crossed the river…” More details about Tao An ++