Tomb of Dongfang Shuo

Tomb of Dongfang Shuo

The Tomb of Dongfang Shuo is a cultural relic protection unit of Shandong Province.

The Tomb of Dongfang Shuo is located in a field near Shentou Town, Ling County. There are no above-ground structures remaining. The earthen mound is about three meters high and roughly ten meters in diameter. Beside the tomb, there is a memorial hall built a few years ago, which has now collapsed. In front of the tomb stands a sign erected by the Ling County People’s Government in 1984, designating it as a “Provincial-Level Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.”

About one kilometer ahead from the Tomb of Dongfang Shuo lies the site of the ancient city of Yaci. Historical records state that Dongfang Shuo was a native of Yaci, but now the ancient city has no above-ground buildings remaining either.

Not far beyond that, dozens of large ancient tombs appear along the roadside. The larger mounds are seven to eight meters high and twenty to thirty meters in diameter. The identities of those buried here remain unknown, but they are believed to be Han Dynasty tombs based on research.

More than 800 years after Dongfang Shuo’s passing, during the Tang Dynasty, Yan Zhenqing served as prefect of Pingyuan Commandery (now Ling County). He restored the Tomb of Dongfang Shuo and inscribed the “Eulogy Stele for Dongfang Shuo.” Today, this stele has become a representative work of Yan-style calligraphy. The original stele still exists as a first-class national cultural relic and is now protected under a pavilion within the Ling County Cultural Museum complex.