Hometown of Yan Zhenqing in Feixian County

Hometown of Yan Zhenqing in Feixian County

The Hometown of Yan Zhenqing in Feixian County is a cultural tourism attraction.

Yan Zhenqing’s ancestral home was in Xiaotili, Langya (present-day Zhumanliu Village, Fangcheng Town, Feixian County). The restoration of Yan Zhenqing’s former residence includes two parts: first, erecting a large white marble statue of Yan Zhenqing, standing four meters tall, in the city center of Feixian County, and reconstructing the “Tang Lu Prefecture Yan WenZhongong New Temple Record” stele in Yanhe Park along the river in Feixian County. Second, at his ancestral home (Zhumanliu Village, Fangcheng Town), sites such as the “Xiaotili” Memorial Archway and Shuangzhong Bridge have been restored. Yan Zhenqing’s ancestral tomb has also been renovated. From September 23 to 25, 1997, the First National Academic Symposium on Yan Zhenqing was held in Feixian County, attended by 104 experts, scholars, and descendants of the Yan family from across the country.

Yanlin in Fangcheng Town, Feixian County, is located at the southern foot of Mengshan Mountain, about five kilometers northwest of Fangcheng. The village currently has 508 households, 1,732 residents, and 2,180 mu of arable land. According to the *Louxiaang Zhi* (Record of the Humble Lane), "Yan Sheng, courtesy name Shutai, served as a Lang official in the Han Dynasty;

during the Wei Dynasty, he was appointed Governor of Qingzhou and Xuzhou, and granted the title of Guannei Marquis. He was the first to move from the State of Lu to Langya Linyi. His descendants were known for filial piety and respect, hence the place was called Xiaotili. He was buried seven kilometers west of Linyi County, now part of Feixian County." Originally, there were many tombs of Yan Sheng and his descendants, hence the name Yanlin. At the end of the Tang Dynasty, descendants of the Yan family built the tombs of Yan Zhenqing and Yan Gaoqing here. In the sixth year of Yuanyou during the Song Dynasty, an imperial decree included Yan Zhenqing’s tomb in Feixian County, Yizhou, in the official sacrificial rites. During the Ming Dynasty, the number of forest caretaker families increased, and thus a village formed. The Yan Family Mansion in Qufu historically collected sacrificial grain from Yanlin and presided over the spring and autumn grand ceremonies until the Republican era. Every year during the Qingming Festival, people from Qufu,

Changsanghang, and other places would come to set up stages, perform operas, and hold solemn memorial ceremonies. There are three large Yan-family tombs in Yanlin, as well as twenty-four ancient cypresses, one of which—a pine embracing a toon tree—is considered a national treasure. Unfortunately, during the Cultural Revolution, both the ancient trees and tombs were severely damaged.

According to accounts by villagers who once excavated the ancient tombs, the tombs are arranged from north to south. The bricks at the gate of Tomb No. 1 bear the inscription “Tai Shi Eighth Year” (now housed in the Feixian County Cultural Center). The first reign title of Emperor Wu of Jin, Sima Yan, was Tai Shi. Yan Sheng once served as a Lang official in the late Han Dynasty,

Governor of Qingzhou and Xuzhou during the Cao Wei period, and Guannei Marquis. This indicates that this tomb belongs to Yan Sheng. Yan Sheng was born in the late Han Dynasty and died in the eighth year of the Tai Shi era in the early Jin Dynasty, having lived through three dynasties and reaching the age of 80. Tomb No. 2 is the grave of Lu Prefecture Duke Yan Zhenqing. Yan Zhenqing was killed by the rebel general Li Xilie on August 20 of the first year of the Zhenyuan era during the Tang Dynasty’s Dali period in Longxing Temple, at the age of 76. After Yan Zhenqing and Yan Gaoqing sacrificed themselves for their country, their descendants built a tomb in Yanlin to honor them. During the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty, Yang Guo, the magistrate of Feixian County, erected a stele at Zhenqing’s tomb and composed its inscription. The text of the inscription is still recalled by villagers today. Tomb No. 3 is the grave of Yan Gaoqing, known alongside his brother Zhenqing’s tomb as the “Two Yans’ Tomb.” These are either soul-summoning burials or cenotaphs, serving as clear evidence of later generations commemorating their ancestors. Villagers in Yanlin still pass down many folk tales about Yan Zhenqing, such as the legend of the Wind Cave Tomb and the Headless General.