Hometown of Dongfang Shuo Scenic Area

Hometown of Dongfang Shuo Scenic Area

The Hometown of Dongfang Shuo Scenic Area is a cultural tourism attraction.

Shentou has a long history and rich cultural heritage as the hometown of Dongfang Shuo, the Sage of Wisdom from the Western Han Dynasty. The area preserves key cultural relics under protection, including the ruins of Shuo’s Tomb, the ancient city site of Yaci, and clusters of Han Dynasty tombs. It was designated as a provincial-level key cultural relics protection unit on April 22, 1977.

Dongfang Shuo, courtesy name Manqian, was the Taizhong Dafu (senior official) under Emperor Wu of Han and a renowned politician and literary figure of the Western Han Dynasty. Both Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji) and Book of Han (Hanshu) document his life. He was known for his erudition, wit, and eloquence. Records of the Grand Historian: Biographies of Jesters and Book of Han: Biography of Dongfang Shuo depict his unique style—witty and humorous, candid in remonstration, and skillful in using humor to advise. Later generations admired his character and revered his vast knowledge, hailing him as the “Sage of Wisdom,” alongside Confucius, the “Sage of Literature,” and Sunzi, the “Sage of War.” He was also celebrated as the God of Jupiter, Peach Immortal, Master of Humor, Star of Knowledge, and regarded as the progenitor of jokes, crosstalk, riddles, divination, and folk literature.

Dongfang Shuo’s Tomb is located two li west of Shentou Town, with a diameter of 32 meters and a height of 4 meters. It is a provincial-level key cultural relics protection unit. Originally, there was a tombstone inscribed with “Tomb of Mr. Dongfang Shuo,” written by Yan Zhenqing, which has been lost. The existing stele, Yan Zhenqing’s Calligraphy Eulogy for Mr. Dongfang of the Han Dynasty, Taizhong Dafu, has been relocated to the Lingxian Museum for preservation.

The rolling “Han Tombs Cluster,” commonly known as the “Seventy-two Suspicious Mounds,” is spread across an area about five li east-west and three li north-south, centered around Yaci Road. There are 38 ancient tombs remaining, with the larger ones having diameters of 60 meters and heights of 9 meters, and the smaller ones 14 meters in diameter and 5 meters in height. These ancient mounds, undulating in the landscape, present a grand and majestic sight. According to historian Zhao Wanchun, this cluster is the family tomb of Zhang Anshi from the Western Han Dynasty. Historical records indicate that Zhang Anshi was the Right General during the reign of Emperor Zhao of Han and was granted the title Marquis of Fuping. The title was passed down for nine generations over more than 200 years until the Eastern Han Emperor Andi. The wealthy and prosperous Fuping family lived in extreme luxury—as depicted in Li Shangyin’s poem “The Young Marquis of Fuping”: “Untroubled by wars on seven borders, / At thirteen he inherited Marquis of Fuping. / He’d toss aside golden bells in the woods, / Yet mourn a silver toilet stand by the well,” illustrating their lavish lifestyle. Thus, the Fuping family had the means to construct such a magnificent family tomb complex, leaving behind valuable physical material for the study of geomancy.

On the third day of the third lunar month each year, nearby villagers spontaneously organize activities to worship Dongfang Shuo. Over time, these events have grown in scale and influence, evolving into the grand “March 3rd Temple Fair.” The fair features a rich variety of economic and cultural activities commemorating Mr. Dongfang Shuo, creating a vibrant spectacle. It has been recognized by Dezhou City as the “Most Distinctive Cultural Brand.”

The completed Forest Park within the Hometown of Dongfang Shuo Scenic Area spans over 7,000 mu and has planted more than 300,000 saplings of over 20 types of trees, including London plane trees, purple-leaf plums, Chinese scholar trees, peach trees, walnut trees, hawthorn trees, and pomegranate trees. Over the course of three years, it has been developed into a top-tier provincial forest eco-tourism base covering ten thousand mu, integrating leisure, vacation, wellness, and entertainment, all rooted in the culture of Dongfang Shuo and backed by forest landscape resources.

Address: Shentou Town, Lingcheng District, Dezhou City, Shandong Province

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