Bozhou Tangwang Mausoleum

Bozhou Tangwang Mausoleum

Bozhou Tangwang Mausoleum is a cultural tourism attraction.

Located on the east side of Qiaoling North Road in Bozhou City and on the north bank of the Guo River, it is the cenotaph of King Tang of Shang, also known as Tangwang Tomb. In September 1981, it was designated as a key cultural relic protection unit of the province by the People's Government of Anhui Province. The earliest record of Tangwang Tomb can be found in the "Huanglan" written by Cao Pi of the Three Kingdoms period: "In Fengtou Village north of the Guo River, there are the old fortifications of Cheng Tang." Li Daoyuan recorded in the "Commentary on the Water Classic" that "King Cheng Tang of Shang was buried to the south of the Guo River." According to the "Bozhou Annals," "To the west of Tang Mausoleum lies Sanglin, where King Cheng Tang prayed for rain," and to the northeast was Tonggong, where Yi Yin imprisoned Tai Jia—none of which exist today.

Tangwang Mausoleum is situated 10 kilometers south of Cao County in Tushanjivillage, Yandianlou Town, about 3 kilometers east of the He-Shang Highway. The existing earthen mound is 70 meters long from north to south, 50 meters wide from east to west, and 1.5 meters high. In front of the mausoleum stand stone tablets inscribed with “Reconstructed Tang Mausoleum” from the Ming and Qing dynasties. Shang Tang, whose family name was Zi and given name was Tang (also known as Lu, Tianyi, Dayi, Wutang, Wutang, or Tianyi), historically referred to as “Tang had seven names,” was the founder of the Shang Dynasty. Shang Tang was a benevolent ruler. As recorded in "Records of the Grand Historian – The Basic Annals of Yin," once when Shang Tang went out hunting, he saw someone setting up a net to catch birds. That person also prayed, “May all those coming from the sky, the earth, and all directions enter my net.” After hearing this, Shang Tang thought it too cruel, so he asked the man to remove three sides of the net and prayed, “Go left if you wish, go right if you want, and only those who disobey will enter the net.” This is the origin of the idiom “leave three sides of the net open.” Shang Tang won the hearts of the people through his benevolence. Mencius said, “The people longed for him as they would for rain during a great drought.” Under Shang Tang’s rule, the people of the Shang tribe were stabilized, production developed, and their power grew stronger. Eventually, they overthrew the Xia Dynasty in one fell swoop, establishing the Shang Dynasty with its capital at Bo.

Today, most scholars agree with Wang Guowei’s theory in "On Bo," which states that it is located within the territory of present-day Cao County. Its specific location, according to the "Jizhou Prefecture Annals – Ancient Sites," reads: “The old Bo city is 20 li south of the county on the sunny side of Cao Mountain. Beside it is Mengcheng.” The "Cao County Annals – Territory" Further states: “Three li southeast of Tang Mausoleum, also called Jingbo or Beibo, is this place.” If that is the case, then this area was an important stronghold of the Shang tribe, and it is no surprise that village names such as Shangcun, Pangengcun, and Panshizhen still exist in the Cao County area.

Historical records state that after “Tang overthrew the Xia mandate,” he reigned for thirty years and was buried to the south of Tushan (Mountain in Cao County). In front of the tomb was the Temple of Tang, complete with eastern and western corridors, a front hall, and a main hall, making for a very magnificent sight. It was renovated multiple times during the fourth year of Song Emperor Huizong’s Huangyou reign, the fifth year of Yuan Emperor Yanyou’s reign, the eighth year of Ming Emperor Xuande’s reign, the twelfth year of Emperor Chenghua’s reign, the fifth year of Emperor Hongzhi’s reign, the twenty-fifth year of Emperor Jiajing’s reign, and the ninth year of Emperor Wanli’s reign, but it was later destroyed by war and floods.

Although Tangwang Mausoleum has undergone many vicissitudes, it remains an important historical basis for the Shang capital Bo being located in Cao County.

In the 25th year of the Republic of China (1936), it was turned into “Tang Mausoleum Park,” where a wide variety of flowers and trees were planted, pines and cypresses remained evergreen, pavilions stood gracefully, and winding paths led to secluded spots.

The tomb mound is a tall, round earthen hill, over 6 meters high with a circumference of nearly 60 meters. In front of the tomb stands a stone tablet inscribed with “Shang Chengtang King Tomb,” and to the south of the grave grows a 500-year-old Phellodendron tree, tenacious and vibrant. The ancient trees, tomb mound, and gravestone in the park together create an imperial garden ambiance.

The Tang clan originated from the Zi surname, descendants of Cheng Tang. Their fief was in Zhongshan, and they were prominent in Fanyang. The Yellow Emperor married Leizu, the daughter of Xiling, as his principal consort, and they had two sons: the elder, Xuanxiao, and the younger, Changyi. After the Yellow Emperor passed away, Changyi’s son Gaoyang ascended the throne and became Emperor Zhuanxu. After Emperor Zhuanxu died, Xuanxiao’s grandson Gaoxin ascended and became Emperor Ku. Emperor Ku married Jiandi and fathered Qi. Qi assisted Yu the Great of the Xia in flood control and was rewarded by Emperor Shun with the position of Minister of Education and the fief of Shang (present-day Shangqiu, Henan), along with the surname Zi—becoming the progenitor of Cheng Tang.

By the time of Qi’s fourteenth-generation descendant, Zi surname Lu (also called Tianyi), he was the feudal lord of the Xia Dynasty. By the end of the Xia, he became the leader of the Shang tribe, overseeing military campaigns and implementing benevolent governance. He benefited the people and thus gained their support. At that time, the tyrannical Emperor Jie of Xia had lost all popular support, while the virtuous minister Yi Yin chose a worthy lord to serve. Thus, the feudal lord personally led the Shang army to drive Jie to Nan Chao, took over the Xia’s realm, and established himself as king, with Bo (present-day southern Cao County, Shandong) as the capital and named the dynasty Shang. Upon his death, he was given the temple name Cheng Tang. Among his descendants, one branch adopted his title as their clan name, thus becoming the Tang clan.

Shang Tang was the founding monarch of the Shang Dynasty, known as Cheng Tang after ascending the throne. From Shang Tang (1766 BC) to Emperor Zhou (Di Xin), the court gradually declined, and the Shang was eventually overthrown by King Wu of Zhou. In total, seventeen generations and thirty-one kings ruled (approximately from the 16th century BC to the 11th century BC). Zhou, the half-brother of Emperor Zhou, surrendered himself without resistance when King Wu destroyed the Shang. After King Wu’s victory, the Duke of Zhou, having twice conquered the Shang, enfeoffed Zhou in Song (Shangqiu, Henan) to govern some of the remaining Shang people. The lineage continued through Gongji, Dinggong, and Gongyan, until Yan declared himself king. Yan’s brother, Chang, had a son, Long, who, fearing persecution under Qin Shi Huang’s book burnings and the execution of scholars, changed the Zi surname to Tang.