Tomb of the Imperial Consort

Tomb of the Imperial Consort

The Tomb of the Imperial Consort is a cultural relic protection unit of Nanchang County.

The “Tomb of the Imperial Consort,” also known as the Tomb of the Southern Crossing Palace Ladies, is located in the middle of Jiangjia Village, Dutou (formerly Dutou Township), Youlan Town. It faces south and sits to the north. According to old records, “The Tomb of the Southern Crossing Palace Ladies is thirty steps north of Huang’en Pond at Yueqian Ferry, fifty li east of the county, commonly referred to as the tomb of Empress Meng of the Southern Song Dynasty.” Another account says that when Emperor Gaozong of the Song Dynasty was fleeing south, one of his favorite consorts died here, so he had her buried here with great honor. (Yueqian Ferry is today’s Qiujiadu, and the Qinglan Lake in front of the tomb was originally called Huang’en Pond.)

Additionally, according to local residents, during the War of Resistance against Japan, villagers dug a shelter under the tomb to escape massacres. The cave reached a depth of 2 meters, but nothing unusual was found, leading to speculation that the actual tomb may not be located here.

The “Tomb of the Imperial Consort” is currently protected by a brick wall around the grave mound, 1.5 meters high, with the exterior coated in cement. The diameter of the grave mound is 9 meters. The earthen mound stands 2.5 meters tall in total, covered with many weeds, shrubs, and deciduous trees.

As it is situated right next to Qinglan Lake, the tomb often gets submerged during floods. The original 4-meter-high earthen mound has been reduced to just 2.5 meters. Vegetable planting by nearby villagers has also had an impact on the site.

On October 27, 1983, the Nanchang County People’s Government listed it as one of the first batch of Nanchang County Cultural Relic Protection Units.

Source: Nanchang County Museum

Youlan Town: Located in the southeastern suburbs of Nanchang City, by Poyang Lake, Youlan enjoys well-developed transportation. It is 20 km from the city center, 15 km from Liantang County, and 32 km from Changbei Airport. In 1994, it was upgraded from a township to a town, and in 2001, it merged with Dutou Township. It administers 28 village committees, 1 horticultural farm, and 1 neighborhood committee. There are 211 natural villages and 3 small towns. The area has 3 middle schools, 29 primary schools, and 2 health clinics. The population is 81,000, and the area covers 110 square kilometers. In 2005, the town achieved a total fiscal revenue of 10.18 million yuan, with per capita rural income reaching 3,468 yuan.

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