Wei Mountain Han Tombs

Wei Mountain Han Tombs

The Wei Mountain Han Tombs are a cultural relic protection unit of Shandong Province.

The Wei Mountain Han Tombs are located on the western side of the mountain peak within the Wei Mountain Scenic Area, at Shengjing Subdistrict Office, Zhangqiu. To the southwest of the tomb lies the YuanYin Pagoda, and to the east is the YuanYin Temple. Originally, there were ancestral shrines and stone tablets near the tomb, but these have all been destroyed. The protected area includes the land scope of the Wei Mountain Scenic Area (which contains the original Pingling King Tomb, the Wei Mountain Terracotta Army Pit, and the Wei Mountain Terracotta Army Kiln Site). The construction control zone is defined as an area extending 50 meters outward from the boundary of the protected area.

The Wei Mountain Terracotta Army Pit, a burial pit accompanying the tomb, is located on the northern slope of Shengjing Wei Mountain Scenic Area. It was discovered in 2002 when villagers were digging tree pits. The pit runs from north to south, measuring 9.7 meters in length, 1.9 meters in width, and about 70 centimeters in depth, with a total area of 18.43 square meters. A total of 172 terracotta figures, 55 horses, four chariots, over 600 shields, and more than 150 components related to chariots, horses, and figures—as well as artifacts such as bian drums and pin drums—were excavated from the pit, all dating back to the Han Dynasty. About 500 meters southwest of the site lies a kiln site where a large number of fragments of terracotta figures, chariots, and horses were unearthed, believed to be from the kilns that produced the terracotta army pit. Approximately 700 meters south of this site are the Pingling King Tomb at the top of Wei Mountain and the Wei Mountain Three Steles.

It is said that the tomb’s occupant was Liu Piguang, the King of Jin, who was enfeoffed in the 16th year of Emperor Wen of the Western Han Dynasty (164 BC). The tomb mound is made of rammed earth, with a pavilion built on top. Historical records state, according to the Taiping Huanyu Ji: “In the 16th year of Emperor Wen of Han, the son of Qi Daohui Wang was enfeoffed as Qi Xiaowang. In the third year of Emperor Jing’s reign, the Xiaowang conspired with Wu and Chu, and after his death, he was buried at the summit of this mountain, commonly known as the ‘Iron Tomb Summit.’”

On June 23, 2015, the Wei Mountain Han Tombs were announced by the People's Government of Shandong Province as part of the fifth batch of provincial-level cultural relic protection units in Shandong Province.

Shengjing Subdistrict: Administrative Region & Population: Located in the western part of Zhangqiu, Shengjing Subdistrict Office serves as the western gateway for Zhangqiu’s integration with Jinan, directly connecting with the city. It is a key newly developed urban area under the municipal strategy plan of “One River, Two Cities.” The subdistrict covers an area of 64 square kilometers, with 34,000 mu of arable land, governs 46 administrative villages, and has a population of 38,000.

Economic Conditions: In 2010, the added value of agriculture was 183.5 million yuan, the total grain output was 280 million tons, sales revenue of enterprises above designated size reached 1.233 billion yuan, and industrial profits and taxes of such enterprises totaled 130 million yuan. 2…… Detailed information on Shengjing Subdistrict++

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Provincial-Level Cultural Relic Protection Units in Shandong Province

· Fourth Batch of Municipal-Level Cultural Relic Protection Units in Jinan City