Tomb of Xu Chen

Tomb of Xu Chen

The Tomb of Xu Chen is a cultural heritage protection unit of Shandong Province.

The Tomb of Xu Chen is located in Yangliu Town, Xintai City. It dates back to the Yuan Dynasty. In 2013, it was designated as part of the fourth batch of provincial-level cultural heritage protection units by the People's Government of Shandong Province.

Xu Chen, courtesy name Guobao, was a native of Xintai. He once served as the Prefect of Bozhou under the Guide Prefecture. The tomb site spans 30 meters from east to west and 50 meters from north to south. On both sides of the spirit way are stone statues of officials (stolen in 2004), a stone memorial archway inscribed with “Gate of Ancestral Tomb of Lord Xu,” as well as pairs of stone sheep and stone tigers (the sheep and tigers were stolen in 2003 and recovered in 2006). The tomb mound has a diameter of 12 meters and a height of 1.50 meters, built from compacted yellow earth. To the right front of the tomb stands a turtle-based stele with a dragon-headed top, known as the “Spirit Way Stele of Prefect Lord Xu,” erected in the third year of the Zhizhi era (1323) during the Yuan Dynasty. To the left is the “Xu Family Genealogy Stele,” erected in the seventh year of the Kangxi era (1668) during the Qing Dynasty.

Yangliu Town: Located in the northwest of Xintai City, Shandong Province, Yangliu Town borders the Daiyue District of Tai’an to the west and is close to the urban area of Laiwu to the north. It is the hometown of Yang Hu, a prominent politician and military strategist of the Western Jin Dynasty, and was an important ancient post station. The town is named after the influential Yang family. Covering an area of 180 square kilometers, it governs 90 administrative villages with a population of 98,000. The town enjoys a superior geographical location and well-developed transportation. It is often said that “from Nanjing to Beijing, Yangliu lies in the middle.” A major highway runs east-west through the town with both upper and lower exits. It is 100 kilometers from the provincial capital Jinan, 270 kilometers from the coastal city of Qingdao to the east, and lies near the Beijing-Guangzhou Railway. Ji… More detailed information about Yangliu Town++

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Shandong Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units