Dongming Zhuangzi Tomb

Dongming Zhuangzi Tomb

The Dongming Zhuangzi Tomb is a cultural tourism attraction.

The Dongming Zhuangzi Tomb is located in Caiyuanji Township, Dongming County. It dates back to the Eastern Zhou Dynasty. In 2013, the tomb was designated as part of the fourth batch of provincial-level cultural heritage protection units by the People’s Government of Shandong Province.

After his death, Zhuangzi was buried north of Zhuangzhai Village in Dongming. The tomb is located on a cultural site from the Shang and Zhou periods, and relics authorities have conducted investigations and appraisals on pottery shards and other items excavated from the site. The Zhuangzi Temple in Zhuangzhai, Dongming, was first built in the second year of the Zhenguan era during the Tang Dynasty, and has been renovated multiple times throughout history. Stone tablets preserved and newly unearthed in Dongming clearly document the historical facts of the temple’s renovations during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Dongming County has developed a comprehensive and systematic research database and website dedicated to Zhuangzi, collecting and preserving relevant materials and publishing research findings to provide more detailed information for those wishing to learn about and study Zhuangzi. Zhuang clan descendants from counties and cities such as Cao County, Heze, Lankao, Qixian, and Yuanyang jointly raised funds to renovate the Zhuangzi Temple in Zhuangzhai, Dongming once again in 1988.

Zhuangzi and his culture have had a profound influence in Dongming County. Successive local governments have placed great emphasis on inheriting and spreading Zhuangzi’s legacy, which is well-documented in local chronicles. In 1995 and 2007, Dongming successfully hosted two national symposiums on Zhuangzi. Over 100 experts and scholars from universities and social science research institutions in Beijing, Shanghai, Henan, Shandong, and other regions—specializing in pre-Qin history, intellectual history, philosophy, literature, historical geography, and related fields—engaged in thorough discussions and careful analysis regarding Zhuangzi’s life, hometown, and philosophy. The experts conducted on-site inspections of sites related to Zhuangzi’s life and burial, including the former site of Qiyuan (Lacquer Garden), the Zhuangzi Temple, the Zhuangzi Tomb, the old site of Nanhua Mountain, as well as related tombstones, stone inscriptions, and genealogical records. They also visited Zhuangzhai Village, where Zhuangzi’s direct descendants primarily reside, listening to villagers’ accounts. The participating experts unanimously concluded that Zhuangzi’s official career, retreat from public life, writings, and burial site were all located in Dongming.

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Shandong Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units