Tomb of the Yan Family

Tomb of the Yan Family

Tomb of the Yan Family is a cultural relic protection unit of Anhui Province.

Tomb of the Yan Family is an ancient burial site from the Warring States period. Also known as the "Tomb of the Yan Clan" or "Tomb of Yuan Shu," locals commonly refer to it as the "Big Mound," while the surrounding "Gudui Township" is called the "Small Mound." Though it's associated with the "Yan" family, the local place name actually uses "Yan" (阎), not "Yan" (严)—which is quite puzzling. The most intriguing part is the name "Tomb of Yuan Shu." It's unclear since when it became associated with Yuan Shu’s tomb—perhaps it was always his burial site, but the name later morphed from "Yuan Shu" to "Yan (严) family."

The Tomb of the Yan Family covers an area of 52×53 meters (north-south), totaling 2,756 square meters, and stands 7.5 meters high. On the southern side of the mound, there are two provincial-level cultural heritage protection steles—one new and one old—placed closely together, with the newer one in front. Around the base of the tomb’s earthen mound, numerous private graves are clustered, especially densely from the southwest to the southeast. They sit side by side like stars surrounding the moon or the rings of the sun encircling the central tomb, creating a rather spectacular sight. The northwest side of the mound has relatively fewer private tombs. On the northeast side, 20 new cement-lined burial niches have been constructed in two rows, with only one currently occupied and the remaining 19 still vacant. Local residents have long believed that the Big Mound boasts excellent feng shui.