Tomb of Yan Liben

Tomb of Yan Liben

The Tomb of Yan Liben is a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangxi Province.

The Tomb of Yan Liben is located on the southern bank of Bingxi River in Yushan County, at the northern foot of Mount Wuan, behind the present-day Puning Temple. The tomb site is surrounded by dense trees. One tomb stele, re-erected during the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty, still remains. It has an arched top, is 1.02 meters wide and 0.11 meters thick, and the earthen mound behind the stele stands 1.65 meters high. The central part of the stele is inscribed with “Tomb of Yan Liben, the Tang Dynasty’s Prime Minister and Patron of this Temple,” while the left side reads, “Winter Month, Auspicious Day, 15th Year of Qianlong Reign, Qing Dynasty. Residing Monk Xintian of Puning Temple and the Monastic Community Re-erect This Stone.” According to the Tongzhi Edition of the Yushan County Annals from the Qing Dynasty: “Yan Liben, a native of Wannian, Xi’an, served as the Zhongshu Ling (Chief Minister). He settled at the foot of Mount Wuan, studied at the warm waters to the left of the Three Mountains, and owned the Southern Manor in the Fifth District. After Emperor Taizong’s death and the ascension of Emperor Gaozong, power shifted to Empress Wu Zetian. Yan Liben donated the Southern Manor to establish the Puyuan Chan Monastery. He also built his tomb behind Puning Temple and entrusted monks to guard it.” The boundaries of the tomb site are faintly discernible, measuring approximately 30 meters in length and 23 meters in width, covering an area of 700 square meters. The tomb is now a provincial-level cultural relic protection unit.

Yan Liben: (c. ?–673 AD), from Xi’an, Shaanxi Province. A painter of the Tang Dynasty. Born into a family of painters, both his father, Yi, and elder brother, Lide, were skilled in painting, crafts, and architecture. He served as Right Chancellor, was ennobled as Marquis of Boling County, and held the position of Zhongshu Ling. He excelled in calligraphy and was adept at painting figures, horse-drawn carriages, and palace buildings. He could “transform the ancient to resemble the modern,” with bold and vigorous brushwork. He was especially skilled in portraiture and portraying character. His works include the “Eighteen Scholars of the Qin Mansion” painted in 626 AD and the “Twenty-Four Meritorious Officials of the Lingyan Pavilion” painted in 643 AD, both recorded in the Famous Paintings of Successive Dynasties; other works include “Wei Zheng Presenting His Remonstrance,” “Twelve True Lords,” “True Likeness of Wang Xizhi…” More details about Yan Liben ++

Bingxi Subdistrict: Bingxi Subdistrict is located on the banks of the Bingxi River, upstream of the Xin River, and is the seat of Yushan County. The subdistrict currently covers a total area of 55.5 square kilometers, including 847 hectares of cultivated land, 856 hectares of mountainous land, and 221 hectares of water area. It administers 15 community neighborhood committees and 10 agricultural administrative villages. The permanent resident population is 153,300, including 24,200 agricultural residents. The Subdistrict Party Working Committee oversees 6 general branches and 60 party branches, with 2,223 party members. … More details about Bingxi Subdistrict ++

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Jiangxi Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units