Tomb of King Wei Bao

Tomb of King Wei Bao

The Tomb of King Wei Bao is a national AA-level tourist attraction.

The Tomb of King Wei Bao is located southwest of Guolaiyi Village in Xinyang Township, covering an area of 1,575 square meters with a mound 4 meters high. The 1948 edition of the Wudi County Annals records: "The Han Tomb of King Wei Bao lies seven li north of the county town."

Legend has it that when Han Xin marched from Yan to attack Qi, he encountered Bao here. After 300 rounds of battle, Bao succumbed to a sudden illness known as 'armor-shedding wind' and died. Han Xin then ordered his soldiers to pile up earth to form this tomb." In 1977, the regional cultural relics management department conducted an excavation (selective survey) at the ancient tomb and confirmed it to be a Han Dynasty tomb, though the identity of the interred remains undetermined. In 1987, its main marker was designated as the "Guolaiyi (named after the locality) Ancient Tomb" and it was listed as a provincial-level key cultural relic protection unit.

The Tomb of King Wei Bao is also known as the Guolaiyi Ancient Tomb, and locals commonly refer to it as "Taizi Slope." According to the 1948 Wudi County Annals: It is said that during the Chu-Han Contention, when Han Xin attacked Qi from the State of Yan, he fought a fierce 300-round battle with King Wei Bao here. While resting after removing his armor, Bao fell ill and died suddenly. Admiring his bravery, Han Xin ordered his soldiers to pile up earth to bury him. A more detailed and vivid version circulates among local residents: It is said that at the time, Han Xin had "a million troops stationed in Xinyang, and with a kick of his boot reached Chang’an." King Wei Bao and Han Xin were close maternal cousins. When the kind-hearted King Wei Bao went to face Han Xin in battle, he felt deeply conflicted due to their kinship. Upon arriving in Xinyang, the two secretly agreed to stage a fake battle between Liliang Village and Tangxin Village. However, Han Xin broke the agreement and set up a bewildering trap at the designated spot, luring Bao’s army into an ambush. The battle raged fiercely, and although Bao fought bravely, Han Xin’s prepared forces ultimately defeated his army, leading to Bao’s death in combat. Facing Bao’s corpse, Han Xin was filled with mixed emotions, having sacrificed their brotherly bond for the sake of war. With this in mind, he decided to give Bao a grand burial, choosing a site west of present-day Guolaiyi Village. He first ordered his soldiers to dig a large pit, drove wooden stakes at the bottom, and hung the coffin above them. Then, he commanded each soldier to scoop up a handful of earth and scatter it over the coffin to “build the tomb with piled earth.” Eventually, a circular burial mound about 5 li in circumference was formed, resembling a small hill.