Chiyou Mausoleum Scenic Area

Chiyou Mausoleum Scenic Area

The Chiyou Mausoleum Scenic Area is a national AAA-level tourist attraction and a cultural relic protection unit of Shandong Province.

The Chiyou Mausoleum is a scenic area centered around the worship of Chiyou, the legendary human ancestor. Located in Shiwuliuyuan Town, Yanggu County, it is a sacred site where people of all ethnic groups in China pay homage to Chiyou, the human ancestor.

The Chiyou Mausoleum covers an area of 206 mu and is divided into three parts: the Worship Area, the Tomb Area, and the Cultural Exhibition Area. Key attractions in the Worship Area include the Mausoleum Gate, the Chiyou Statue, the Worship Plaza, the Worship Platform, and the Chiyou Hall. The Tomb Area mainly features the Maple Forest, the Chiyou Stele Pavilion, Chiyou’s Tomb, and the Watchtower. The Exhibition Area includes the Dongyi Culture Exhibition Hall and the Farming Culture Exhibition Hall.

Chiyou’s Tomb is located at the eastern end of Yijie Village, Shiwuliuyuan Town, Yanggu County. Its base is approximately 50 meters square, with a hemispherical mound on top. Archaeological excavations were conducted in 1974, 1994, and 2006, revealing that the tomb is 7.6 meters high, with 4.1 meters above ground and 3.5 meters underground. The lowest layer, 2.1 meters thick, belongs to the Dawenkou Culture (with some Yangshao Culture elements), the middle 4-meter layer to the Longshan Culture, and the top 1.5-meter layer to the Han Dynasty. Surrounding the tomb is a Longshan Culture city site, measuring 150 meters from east to west and 400 meters from southwest to northeast, covering an area of about 60,000 square meters. Historical texts such as *Huanglan: Tomb Records*, *Book of Han: Treatise on Geography*, and *Shi Zhi Zhou Zhi* record: “Chiyou’s Tomb is in Kanshang City, Shouzhang County, Dongping Commandery, seven zhang high. People often worship it in October. A red vapor rises from it, like a piece of crimson silk, called the Chiyou Banner. His shoulder and thigh tombs are in Zhongju, Juye County, Shanyang Commandery, similar in size to the Kanshang Tomb.” *Shouzhang Chiyou Shrine* is noted as being “northwest on the Sulv,” and *Shouzhang has a Chiyou Shrine*. The *Yuan Poetry Selection: Supplement* includes a poem by the Southern Song poet Wang Yi titled *In September, Shen Tu Boji and I Drank on Chiyou’s Tomb in Shouzhang*. Local Yanggu folklore, such as *The Legend of the Ancient Willow* and the *Legend of Qiong Sang*, tell the same story. The *Ancient Calendar Tenth Day Ancestor Worship Festival* originates from the tradition of worshipping Chiyou in October, aligning with the Western Miao dialect’s Mu Nian Festival in the tenth lunar month. The local reverence for cattle and dogs mirrors that of the Miao people. Experts and scholars at the 2006 and 2008 National Chiyou Culture Symposia concluded that this tomb’s cultural period matches that of the Yan Emperor, Yellow Emperor, and Chiyou. With a city surrounding the tomb, a towering mound, and location northwest of ancient Shouzhang County (now Huozhuang Village, Xinhu Township, Dongping County) by the Ji River, it aligns with historical records. Supported by historical texts, archaeological evidence, and folk culture, this is the Chiyou Skull Tomb recorded in *Huanglan: Tomb Records*. The three Longshan Culture cities in Yanggu were the capitals of the Dongyi people, making Yanggu the political, economic, and cultural center of the ancient Dongyi tribes and an important cradle of Chinese farming civilization.

The memorial stele in front of the tomb is 4.3 meters high, 1.2 meters wide, and 0.3 meters thick. The three large characters “Chiyou Tomb” were inscribed by Wang Chaowen, former director of the Ethnic Affairs Committee of the NPC Standing Committee, former governor of Guizhou Province, and former president of the Guizhou Miao Study Association, in May 2007. On either side of the stele are 4.3-meter-tall pavilions. The western one, “Drinking Together Pavilion,” houses a stele engraved with Wang Yi’s *In September, Shen Tu Boji and I Drank on Chiyou’s Tomb in Shouzhang*. The eastern one, “Chiyou Tomb Pavilion,” features a *Chiyou Ode* written by Duan Baolin, vice president of the Chinese Folklore Society, Peking University professor, and honorary president of the Yanggu Chiyou Culture Research Association. The plaza in front of the stele is 30 meters north-south and 26 meters east-west, with a simple archway 4.8 meters high and 4 meters wide at the southern end of the central axis. The archway’s pillars and beams are made of 40-cm-square dark blue stone. The tomb is surrounded by blue bricks, giving it a simple, solemn, and majestic appearance.

On November 26, 2008, the unveiling ceremony for the Chiyou Tomb stele was held. Leaders from Shandong and Guizhou, Xie Yutang and Yang Guanglin, unveiled the stele. Duan Baolin read the memorial text, and representatives of various ethnic groups attending the 2nd Yanggu Chiyou Culture Symposium in 2008 held a public worship ceremony. Miao youths performed a worship ritual. (Text by Yanggu County Annals Office, photos by Li Jian, Yanggu County Cultural Center)

Inscription for the Chiyou Tomb Stele

Yanggu, Shandong, the capital of the Dongyi people. Surrounded by ancient walls, its glory shines through the ages. The mighty Chiyou, leader of the Jiuli tribe, shook the Central Plains with his advanced civilization. He pioneered farming, using oxen and waterworks. Harvests were bountiful, fields golden. Those who ate meat mocked its richness, calling it “eating gravel.” Chiyou understood the laws of heaven, observing celestial movements and mastering weather patterns. He established the calendar, setting the timing for planting and harvest, bringing prosperity to all industries. He settled the fertile eastern lands. Under his rule, heaven, earth, and humanity thrived, with strict yet fair laws. The Dongyi people played metal and stone instruments, harmonized silk and bamboo, danced with dragon and phoenix motifs, and enjoyed lively reed pipes. High-stemmed cups held fragrant wine. Their handicrafts included exquisite pottery and spinning wheels. They forged bronze weapons—halberds, swords, and spears—with copper heads and iron foreheads, invincible in battle. Clad in ox hides, they seemed “four-eyed and six-legged”; warriors with pointed horns appeared “human with ox hooves.” In battles against the Yellow Emperor, Chiyou won nine out of nine. Sweeping across the land, he shook the Central Plains. The Yellow Emperor retreated to Mount Tai, praying for divine help, receiving the military manual of the Goddess of Heaven and learning the secrets to victory. The Yellow Emperor’s allied forces united and ultimately turned defeat into triumph. In the decisive battle at Zhuolu, the Jiuli were overwhelmed. Chiyou perished as mountains crumbled and the salt lake ran red with his blood. The Jiuli split into three: the Sanmiao to the south, the Qiang to the northwest, and the remainder assimilated into the Yellow Emperor’s forces as generals. Chiyou became the Yellow Emperor’s God of War, majestic and glorious. The Yellow Emperor painted Chiyou’s image to pacify the land. Though later historians distorted the truth, calling a king a bandit, Chiyou’s great virtue endures, his legacy honored in worship. The First Emperor of Qin and the Han emperors worshipped Chiyou with utmost reverence, relying on the God of War’s blessings for victory. Chiyou, of the Kan surname, returned his spirit to Kanshang. Buried on a seven-zhang-high mound, he is worshipped as the ancestral god. The crimson banner flies high over his tomb, beneath a sky of rosy clouds. His mound remains towering, green through the millennia. Lofty are China’s Three Ancestors—Yan Emperor, Yellow Emperor, and Chiyou. The Yan Emperor was the Yellow Emperor’s elder brother, and Chiyou his descendant. Their achievements endure through the ages, their virtues spanning history. All Chinese people, tens of millions strong, are their descendants. United in diversity, we share the same roots, blending while preserving our uniqueness. Harmonizing the world, we rise together. Chinese civilization, diverse yet unified. Today’s Yanggu stands united. — With foresight and governance for the people, the leadership seeks to correct the past. Restoring the ancient tomb, they erect this stele to honor his legacy. In these peaceful times of reform and prosperity, the nation strides toward a moderately prosperous society. Dragons and phoenixes dance in harmony, a blossoming China. Upholding China’s ancient culture, we carry forward the benevolence of the Three Ancestors. Striving unceasingly, with integrity and renewal, we inspire the world. At this moment of triumph, at the earnest request of those involved, I pen this inscription.

Respectfully composed by Professor Duan Baolin of Peking University

Tenth Month, Year of the Earth Pig (2008)

The Chiyou Mausoleum is the tomb of Chiyou, one of China’s human ancestors. In ancient times, Yanggu was the political, economic, cultural, and military center of the Dongyi Group. Chiyou led the Jiuli tribes in developing farming, smelting metals, crafting weapons, creating arts, understanding nature, and promoting education, making outstanding contributions to early Chinese civilization.

In recent years, Yanggu County has made significant breakthroughs in Chiyou culture research. Through two national symposia, it was confirmed that Yanggu is the site of Chiyou’s Skull Tomb and the “Capital of the Dongyi People.” The Chiyou Mausoleum Cultural Park has been planned and constructed. The park covers a total of 105 mu, with the mausoleum area divided into the Worship Area, Tomb Area, and Cultural Exhibition Area. Phase I was completed in October 2010, including the Mausoleum Gate, the Ancestor Statue, and the Worship…

Address: Yijie Village, Shiwuliuyuan Town, Yanggu County, Liaocheng City

Business Hours: 08:00—17:30

Visiting Time: Approximately 2 hours

Price: 30 RMB per person

Ticket Discounts: Seniors aged 60–69 with a senior ID receive a 50% discount; seniors aged 70+ with a senior ID enter free. Students with a student ID get a 50% discount. Disabled individuals and active-duty military personnel enter free with valid ID.

Tour Route: Mausoleum Gate — Chiyou Statue — Chiyou Worship Platform — Worship Hall — Tomb Stele Pavilion — Chiyou Tomb Stele — Chiyou Tomb — Dongyi Culture Exhibition Hall — Farming Culture Exhibition Hall

Visitor Service Center: The scenic area has a visitor service center offering tourism consultation, guided tours, and rest areas.

Yijie Village: Yijie Village…… Detailed information on Yijie Village++