Shandong Qufu Shaohao Mausoleum

Qufu Shaohao Mausoleum

Qufu Shaohao Mausoleum is a national AAA-level tourist attraction and a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level.

Shaohao Mausoleum is the tomb of Shaohao, one of the Five Emperors in ancient China. It is located northeast of Jiuxian Village, about 4 kilometers east of Qufu City, and is one of China’s famous imperial mausoleums. According to records, Shaohao, son of the Yellow Emperor, established his capital at Qiong Sang before moving to Qufu. He reigned for 84 years, lived to be 100 years old, and was buried at Shouqiu, outside the eastern gate of the ancient city of Lu. The mausoleum is 28.5 meters wide, 8.73 meters high, and its top rises 12 meters, resembling a pyramid. It was built with stone blocks during the Northern Song Dynasty. Covering an area of 25 acres, the site is shaded by cypress and juniper trees, with lush green lawns. It also features walls, an offering hall, a palace gate, and a stone memorial archway. Adjacent to Shouqiu, Shaohao Mausoleum is one of China’s well-known ancient tombs and marks the burial site of Shaohao, son of the Yellow Emperor and one of the Five Emperors of ancient times.

With the elevation of Shaohao worship through the dynasties, the mausoleum underwent multiple expansions and renovations. In the fifth year of the Dazhong Xiangfu era of the Song Dynasty (1012), a major renovation took place, reinforcing the structure with stacked stones. In the first year of the Zhenghe era (1111), 10,000 stone blocks were used in its construction. The site currently spans 8 hectares, with 17 surviving ancient buildings, 20 stone steles from the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and 3,991 ancient trees. The stone memorial archway in front of the mausoleum was built in the third year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty. Behind the tomb are five halls, with three side halls on either side. The burial mound behind the hall is wider at the base and narrower at the top, shaped like a stepped pyramid, with the mausoleum being 28.5 meters wide, the slope 15 meters high, and the square top 11 meters wide. A small chamber at the top houses a white marble statue of Shaohao carved during the Song Xuanhe era. In 1977, it was designated as a Provincial-Level Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

In 2019, Qufu Shaohao Mausoleum was included in the eighth batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level.

Suggested Duration

1–2 hours

Transportation

Taxi: A taxi from the tourist distribution center to the scenic area costs about 10 RMB. Alternatively, take bus route 2, which stops relatively close to the site.

Driving: Exit at the Qufu toll station of the Beijing–Taipei Expressway, turn right and drive west for about 500 meters, then turn right again and head north.

Ticket Price

50 RMB per person

Opening Hours

8:00-17:00

Location

Northeast of Qufu City, Jining, Shandong Province, approximately 3 kilometers from the city center, at the northeast of Jiuxian Village

Xuanxiao, also known as Qingyang, of the Ji clan, was the eldest son of the Yellow Emperor. The Yellow Emperor had two sons with his wife Leizu: the elder was Xuanxiao (known as Qingyang), and the younger was Changyi.

Huangfu Mi’s "Chronicles of the Emperors" records that Xuanxiao is Shaohao.

"Lu History, Volume 14": Of the twenty-five sons of the Yellow Emperor who had different surnames, twelve were Qiyou, Teng, Zhen, Ren, Gou, Jie, Xuan, Yi, and two Jis, while the rest retained the Ji surname. His primary consort, Xilingshi (also called Leizu), gave birth to Changyi, Xuanxiao, and Longmiao. Changyi, valuing virtue, retreated to live by the Ruoshui River and had three sons: the eldest was Qianhuang, the second was An, and the youngest was Kun.

"Records of the Grand Historian, Volume 1, The Five Emperors… Detailed information on Xuanxiao++

Shuyuan Subdistrict: Located in the old urban area, Shuyuan Subdistrict hosts over 100 municipal and district-level institutions and has a population of more than 50,000 residents. Through the facilitation of the District Culture and Sports Bureau, the city library extended its services by establishing its first service point in the Shuyuan Community.

Shuyuan Subdistrict was established as a district in 1965, renamed Dongfeng Commune in 1968, reverted to Shuyuan Commune in 1980, became Shuyuan District in 1984, was restructured as Shuyuan Township in 1986, upgraded to Shuyuan Town in 1997, and finally reorganized as Shuyuan Subdistrict in 2000.

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Origin

Shuyuan Subdistrict is named after the Zhu Si Academy.

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Historical Sites

… Detailed information on Shuyuan Subdistrict++

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Shandong Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· First Batch of Shandong Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

·Eighth Batch of Major National Historical and Cultural Sites