Tomb of Tang Xianzu

Tomb of Tang Xianzu

The Tomb of Tang Xianzu is a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangxi Province.

Lichuan Ancient Town is blessed with beautiful mountains and clear waters, and has been a land of outstanding people. The mighty river flows through the town, and spanning it is the long-renowned Wenchang Bridge. Not far from the bridge, on the Tang family hill in Lingzhi Garden, lies the joint tomb of Tang Xianzu, his first wife Lady Wu, and his subsequent wives Lady Zhao and Lady Fu. In the 29th year of the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty (1903), Jiang Zhaotang, the then magistrate of Lichuan, carried out a major renovation and composed a couplet for the tombstone: “His writings surpass those across the land; his character leads all in Lichuan.” On the eve of liberation, the tomb site was nearly leveled. It was restored in 1957 but suffered damage again during the Cultural Revolution. In October 1982, it was relocated to People’s Park. Now, it has become a renowned site where literati pay tribute and scholars come to admire. The original site of the tomb has been listed as a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangxi Province.

The tomb covers an area of 5,000 square meters. Facing you is a four-pillar memorial archway, connected on both sides by the meandering walls of the tomb complex. The walls, in white and pale blue, are no more than one meter high, and many sections feature carved lattice windows, offering an open view both inside and outside—echoing Tang’s philosophy that “the love of nature is my lifelong passion.” Particularly eye-catching are the theatrical images from Tang’s masterpiece, “The Four Dreams of Lichuan,” engraved on four pieces of black ink jade set into the walls. With black backgrounds and incised line carvings, though not quite “drapery fluttering like the wind,” the interplay of firm and soft lines vividly depicts characters such as Du Liniang from *The Peony Pavilion*, who dreams her way into love and transcends life and death for freedom; Huo Xiaoyu from *The Purple Hairpin*, devoted in love; Lu Sheng from *A Dream Under the Southern Bough*, who dreams of becoming a high official; and the Prefect of Nanke from *The Handan Dream*, who sees through worldly vanity. These figures seem almost ready to step off the stone.

Sheltered by a dozen pine trees and embraced by a circular white marble railing, the less-than-two-foot-high Tomb of Tang appears simple and unassuming. Its tomb top is neither the traditional pyramid shape common in ordinary graves nor the round, treasure-domed style often seen in wealthy tombs. Instead, it resembles the roof of a pavilion, with several “pavilion ridges” jutting out prominently and a circular “pavilion roof” standing out clearly. The tomb mound looks like a pavilion half-buried and half-standing above ground, symbolizing Tang’s most famous work, *The Peony Pavilion*. In the play, Tang lets the protagonists fight for a happy life “across lifetimes as their hearts desire.” Later generations unified the tomb and the “Pavilion” as one—surely, the revered master would smile from the beyond.

The five characters “Tomb of Tang Xianzu” on the tombstone were inscribed by the master calligrapher Shu Tong, bold yet dynamic, blending motion within stillness. At the top of the tombstone, within a circular frame, the characters for “Sun” and “Moon” are carved. Together, “Sun” and “Moon” make “Ming,” indicating the dynasty in which the deceased lived, while also praising how his writings shine as brightly as the sun and moon. Tang is respected not only for his great literary works but also for his upright character. The inscription on the back of the tombstone outlines his life story, noting how he remained incorruptible and refused to flatter the powerful. Beside the tomb, later generations built a “Pavilion of the Peony.” A couplet on the pavilion reads: “His writings surpass those across the land; his character leads all in Lichuan”—a fitting portrayal of both his person and his literature.

Further Reading:

· First Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Jiangxi Province