Tomb of Gongsun Chou

Tomb of Gongsun Chou

The Tomb of Gongsun Chou is a cultural heritage site protected by Qufu City.

Tomb of Gongsun Chou Located 14 kilometers west of Qufu City and 200 meters southwest of Beigong Village. The tomb site is an elevated platform 2 meters above the ground, stretching 80 meters from north to south and 74 meters from east to west. In front of the tomb lies a sacred path extending 109 meters from north to south and 10 meters in width. The tomb mound has a diameter of about 30 meters and a slope height of 15 meters. There are two stone tablets in front of the tomb, one inscribed with “Tomb of Gongsun Chou, Marquis of Shouguang,” and the other with “Tomb of the Venerable Gongsun Chou, Marquis of Shouguang.” In front of the tomb there is a courtyard that houses a three-bay ancestral hall and a pavilion. During the Cultural Revolution, the tomb and its structures were damaged. It is a cultural heritage site protected by Qufu City.

Gongsun Chou was a native of the State of Qi during the Warring States period and a disciple of Mencius. He co-authored the book Mencius with Wan Zhang and others.

Gongsun Chou is mentioned extensively in the book Mencius, with two full chapters—Gongsun Chou I and Gongsun Chou II—containing over 6,000 characters. The annotation in Mencius·Gongsun Chou I states: “Gongsun Chou was a disciple of Mencius (Kē), a man of Qi. Since Mencius never held political office, Chou posed questions to him hypothetically.”

The famous quotes “Opportune timing is not as effective as favorable location, and favorable location is not as effective as harmonious human relations” and “Those who follow the Way will have many helpers, while those who lose the Way will have few” come from the dialogue between Gongsun Chou and Mencius, recorded in Mencius·Gongsun Chou II. These maxims remain widely cited today... More details about Gongsun Chou ++