Tomb of Deng Zilong

Tomb of Deng Zilong

The Tomb of Deng Zilong is a Protected Cultural Relic Site of Jiangxi Province.

Protected Cultural Relic Site of Jiangxi Province, Protected Cultural Relic Site of Fengcheng City. Located at the "Luoxing Bridge" site in front of Shizi Dengjia Village, Maoxi, Dushi, 30 kilometers southeast of Fengcheng City, Jiangxi Province — the ancestral home of Deng Zilong, with the Ta River flowing in front. The tomb is built with bricks and stones and covered with cement, standing 2.5 meters high, 8 meters long, and 6 meters wide. It has erected a tombstone inscribed with “Patriotic General Deng Zilong,” a marble protection marker, and a bluestone explanatory plaque engraved with a brief biography of General Deng Zilong’s life and the delineation of the protected area. A “Four-Haves” archival record for the tomb has also been established. The surrounding area of 966 square meters outside the tomb enclosure has been designated as the protected management zone. In 1998, the provincial government announced it as a provincial-level key cultural relic protection unit construction control zone, designating a 30-meter buffer beyond the tomb enclosure as a construction control protection belt, making it a base for patriotic education. Deng Zilong (1531–1598), courtesy name Wubridge, art name Daqian, also known as Huguan Daoren, was a native of Dengjia Village, Dushi Town, Fengcheng City. He was a renowned anti-Wokou general of the Ming Dynasty. His grandfather, Deng Yuan, was a successful candidate in the imperial examination in the second year of the Chunxi era (1175) during the Song Dynasty and held the official title of “Zhongxian Dafu.”

Deng Zilong had profound knowledge of astronomy and geography, was skilled in horseback archery, adept at poetry, and proficient in calligraphy. At the age of 26, drawing inspiration from the legendary sword energy of his hometown, he composed the poem “Grinding the Sword at the Ancient Pass”: “The frosty blade is honed, my courage runs high; / Its divine glow shoots straight to the stars on high. / Since Zhang Hua passed, no news has come our way; / For thousands of years, a dragon lies in wait.” This expressed his lofty aspirations. In the fourth year of the Wanli era (1576), Deng Zilong led troops to suppress the peasant uprising in Dayu Mountain, Ningzhou. The following year, he established the Tonggu Camp at Tonggu Stone, Ningzhou, and served as its commander. He oversaw the building of walls and fortifications, marking the earliest beginnings of what is now the city of Tonggu. In the eleventh year of the Wanli era (1583), when Burmese forces invaded Yunnan, Deng Zilong led his troops to quell the incursion and was subsequently promoted to deputy commander. He was later stationed at the Yunnan border. In the twenty-sixth year of the Wanli era (1598), Japan launched a major invasion of Korea. Deng Zilong was ordered to aid Korea, leading to the retreat of the Japanese invaders. During the Battle of Noryang, the nearly seventy-year-old Deng Zilong fought bravely but unfortunately died in battle. Korea honored him by erecting a temple in his memory, where he has been worshipped through generations. Deng Zilong’s remains were returned to Fengcheng for burial. However, although his body was intact, his head was missing — it had been severed by the Japanese invaders. Thus, his coffin was sealed with a head carved from agarwood. Among Deng Zilong’s surviving works are the poetry collection “Hengge Ji” (Songs of the Halberd), the geographical treatise “Fengshui Shuo” (On Geomancy), and the military treatise “Zhenfa Zhizhi” (Direct Guide to Battlefield Formations). Inscriptions by Deng Zilong can still be found on the Tonggu Stone east of present-day Tonggu City.

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Protected Cultural Relic Sites of Jiangxi Province