Zhongtou Tomb Cluster

Zhongtou Tomb Cluster

The Zhongtou Tomb Cluster is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Shandong Province.

The Zhongtou Tomb Cluster consists of nine tombs, of which only five still have earthen mounds. These are the burial sites of eight Han Dynasty scholars known as "Doctors" — from Ouyang Sheng to his descendant Ouyang She — along with Ni Kuan, an imperial censor of the Han Dynasty. Seven of the tombs (three with mounds) are located within the jurisdiction of the Lè'ān Subdistrict Office. The surviving tomb mounds vary in size, with diameters ranging from approximately 8 to 30 meters and heights between 3 and 4 meters. Two tombs are located within the jurisdiction of the Lǐquè Town area, with mounds about 2 to 4 meters high. One of the Eight Ouyang Doctors, Ouyang Sheng, courtesy name Bohe, was a native of Qiánchéng (now Guangrao County). He devoted his life to the study and writing of commentaries on the Classic of Documents (Shàngshū) and was appointed as a Doctor due to his expertise in the text. In addition to Ouyang Sheng, the other seven Doctors were Ouyang Jù, Ouyang Yuǎn, Ouyang Gāo, Ouyang Zhòngrén, Ouyang Dìyú, Ouyang Zhèng, and Ouyang Shè. Among them, Ouyang Dìyú served as Shaofu — one of the Nine Ministers — during the reign of Emperor Yuan of Han, while Ouyang Shè rose to the position of Minister over the Masses (Dàsītú) under Emperor Guangwu of Han. Ni Kuan, an imperial censor of the Han Dynasty, accompanied Emperor Wu of Han during his Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai. He was also commissioned, along with Sima Qian and others, to establish the Taichu Calendar. He was a renowned statesman of the Han era. Ni Kuan’s tomb was listed among the Eight Scenic Spots of Guangrao in old records, celebrated as “Autumn Mist over Ni’s Mound,” and remains an important tourism resource in Guangrao County. In 1976, this tomb cluster was designated as a Provincial Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Further Reading:

· Second Batch of Shandong Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units