Tomb of the Eastern King of the Sulu Kingdom

Tomb of the Eastern King of the Sulu Kingdom

The Tomb of the Eastern King of the Sulu Kingdom is a national AAA-level tourist attraction, a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level, and a patriotic education base.

The Imperial Garden of the Tomb of the Eastern King of the Sulu Kingdom is located in Decheng District. In July 1417 (the 15th year of the Yongle reign in the Ming Dynasty), the Eastern King Paduka Pahala, the Western King Paduka Batara, and the Dungun King Paduka Patulap of the Sulu Kingdom (located in the present-day Sulu Archipelago of the Philippines), along with their families and 340 attendants, came to China on a diplomatic visit. In September, they prepared to return home, but the Eastern King fell ill during the journey and died in Dezhou on the 14th. Upon hearing the news, Emperor Yongle sent officials to offer sacrifices, posthumously honored him with the title “Gongding” (Respectful and Calm), and personally composed the epitaph. On October 3rd, he was buried here with full royal honors.

Later, the eldest son of the Eastern King, Datu Mahal, returned to his country with the Western King and the Dungun King to succeed the throne. The Queen Consort Ge Muning, the second son Wenharala, the third son Andulu, and ten attendants remained at the tomb site. During the Xuande era of the Ming Dynasty, a mosque was built next to the tomb. In the ninth year of the Yongzheng reign in the Qing Dynasty (1731), the eighth-generation descendants of the Eastern King, Wen Chongkai and An Ruiqi, applied for and were granted Chinese citizenship, subsequently settling in Dezhou under the surnames Wen and An.

The Imperial Garden of the Eastern King’s Tomb is solemn and majestic, surrounded by evergreen pines and cypresses. In front of the tomb are stone-carved ornaments such as ornamental columns, statues of civil and military officials, stone lions, tigers, horses, and sheep, arranged along both sides of the tomb path. The Imperial Stele Pavilion of Emperor Yongle is located at the southeastern end of the tomb path. The tombs of Queen Consort Ge Muning, the second son Wenharala, and the third son Andulu are situated southeast of the main tomb. In 1977, the Shandong Provincial Government listed the Tomb of the Eastern King of the Sulu Kingdom as one of the first batch of key cultural relics protection units. On January 13, 1988, it was designated as a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level by the State Council. It is the only tomb in China that houses the remains of a foreign head of state and has become a historical testament and bond of friendship between China and the Philippines. Every year, people from the Philippines visit to pay their respects, and descendants of the Eastern King who settled in Dezhou have also traveled back to the Philippines to trace their roots. The Imperial Garden of the Tomb of the Eastern King of the Sulu Kingdom is currently undergoing redevelopment and reconstruction.

Address: No. 356 Qingnian Road, Decheng District, Dezhou City, Shandong Province (at the northern end of Beiling Road)

Phone: 0534-2323787

Opening Hours:

Closed for Renovation

Admission Fee:

10 RMB per person

Information Source: Decheng District Chronicles Office

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level