Tomb of Zou Shouyi

The Tomb of Zou Shouyi is situated in Xinbei Village, Shanzhuang Township, Anfu County, Ji'an City, Jiangxi Province. In May 2002, it was recognized by the People's Government of Anfu County as one of the third batch of cultural heritage protection units in the county. His courtesy name was Qianzhi, and his pseudonym Dongguo. He was a native of Anfu, Jiangxi.

Zou Shouyi(1491–1562) A Ming Dynasty scholar of Wang Yangming’s school of thought. He became a Jinshi (advanced scholar) in the sixth year of the Zhengde era (1511), was appointed as a compiler at the Hanlin Academy, and eventually rose to the position of Libationer of the Imperial College in Nanjing. He studied under Wang Shouren (Wang Yangming) and accompanied him in quelling the rebellion of Prince Ning. Later, he incurred the emperor’s displeasure due to his candid remonstrations and was dismissed from office, returning to his hometown. His works are compiled in the 12-volume "Dongguo Collected Writings." Throughout his life, Zou Shouyi dedicated himself to promoting the teachings of Wang Yangming. Wang Yangming stated: “Being cautious and apprehensive is the effort required to realize innate moral consciousness.” (The Record of Great Learning, Part II) Zou Shouyi interpreted this as the theory of “caution and reverence,” believing that only through such caution could one dispel the confusion caused by selfish desires and restore the inherently “constantly clear and bright” nature of innate knowledge, thereby achieving “self-improvement without ceasing” and an active, enterprising spirit. He also advocated Wang Yangming’s idea of the unity of essence and function, movement and stillness, asserting that innate knowledge is “without distinction between stillness and sensation, essence and function; it simply operates continuously throughout the four seasons and gives life to all things constantly” (Letter to Shuangjiang Again). He further proposed that “essence” and “effort” are also unified—practicing self-discipline when alone and maintaining caution and reverence are both expressions of the essence and the effort. His doctrine aimed to protect and develop the thoughts of Wang Yangming and is considered an orthodox continuation of Wang’s philosophy.

The Tomb of Zou Shouyi is a cultural heritage site protected by Anfu County.

The Tomb of Zou Shouyi is located in Xinbei Village, Shanzhuang Township, Anfu County.

In May 2002, it was announced as part of the third batch of cultural heritage protection units in Anfu County. (Anfu Government Document [2002] No. 33)

Protection zone: 10 meters around the tomb itself.

Construction control zone: an additional 10 meters extending outward from the protection zone.

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of County-Level Cultural Heritage Protection Units in Anfu County