Tomb of Zhang Hua

Tomb of Zhang Hua

The Tomb of Zhang Hua is a cultural relic protection unit of Hebei Province.

The Tomb of Zhang Hua is located in the east of Zhanghua Village, 12.5 kilometers west of Xushui County, Hebei Province. It lies on a plain, 10 kilometers west of the Taihang Mountain Range and north of the Puh River. The original site of the tomb was situated slightly higher than the surrounding terrain. According to survey records from 1977, the original tomb mound had a diameter of 4 meters and a height of 1.5 meters. In front of the tomb there was a stele erected during the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty, which has since been lost. By 1982, villagers had excavated earth from the tomb site to build houses, resulting in damage to the tomb mound. Today, no visible traces remain on the surface.

The construction period of the Tomb of Zhang Hua is unknown. Zhang Hua (232–300), courtesy name Maoxian, was a native of Fangcheng in Fanyang, Shuntian Prefecture (present-day Gu'an, Hebei), and a literary figure of the Western Jin Dynasty. In the early years of the Western Jin, he served as the Zhongshu Ling (Minister of the Palace Secretariat) and was later appointed as the Huangmen Shilang (Attendant at the Palace Gate). He strongly advocated for the conquest of the Kingdom of Wu, despite opposition, and was subsequently enfeoffed as the Marquis of Guangwu. During the reign of Emperor Hui of Jin, he held positions such as Shizhong (Court Gentleman), Zhongshu Jian (Director of the Palace Secretariat), and Sikong (Minister of Works). He was later executed by Zhao Wang Lun and Sun Xiu, along with the extermination of his entire clan. Zhang Hua was highly learned, with elegant and ornate writing. According to the Annals of Ansu County: “Old records say that when locals dug into the tomb, they saw murals on the four walls that appeared vivid, seemingly due to the enduring spirit of Maoxian.” The county annals also record that during the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty, after Magistrate Xie Changyan renovated the tomb of Liu Boren, he sought out the former site of Zhang Hua’s tomb and planted trees and erected a stele there. It is said that Zhanghua Village was the hometown of Zhang Hua. Zhang Hua was good friends with the famous Western Jin literatus Liu Ling, who traveled a great distance to visit him and eventually died here. The two tombs face each other, about 500 meters apart from north to south. The Tomb of Zhang Hua was designated as a cultural relic protection unit of Hebei Province in 1982.

Further Reading:

· Second Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Hebei Province