Cultural Site of Danzhu

Cultural Site of Danzhu

The Cultural Site of Danzhu is a cultural tourism attraction.

The Tomb of Danzhu is located about 25 kilometers southwest of Fan County, to the north of Xinzhuang Township, and 4 kilometers east of Pucheng, in Danzhu Village (also known as Danxuzhuang). This ancient tomb is said to be the burial site of Danzhu, son of Emperor Yao, who lived over 4,000 years ago.

According to *Records of the Grand Historian · Annals of the Five Emperors*, “Yao asked, ‘Who can carry on this task?’ Fang Qi replied, ‘Your heir Danzhu is wise and capable.’” (Zheng Xuan said: “The son of Emperor Yao, named Danzhu, was wise and open-minded.”) Another ancient text, *Annals of Puzhou*, along with local folklore, states that Danzhu was the son of Emperor Yao. When Yao, in his old age, decided to abdicate the throne, he chose not to pass it to Danzhu due to his fiery and volatile temperament, but instead gave it to Shun. Shun then granted Danzhu a territory around the Fan River region for him to administer. Although Danzhu had a strong and sometimes violent temper, he was skilled in managing agricultural lands. He led the local tribes in cultivating fields, building irrigation systems, developing agriculture, making pottery, and constructing the city of Yanzhu (the old city south of the Yellow River), which spurred the development of politics, economy, and culture in the region. His governance ensured that no one was idle, no farmland was left neglected, travelers treated each other with courtesy, and social order between young and old was maintained—achievements comparable to those of Yao and Shun. He earned deep affection from the people. After Danzhu’s passing, the local tribes mourned his loss and buried him with reverence. A grand tomb was built for him eight li east of Pucheng, which from afar looked like a mountain, thus known as the Tomb of Danzhu. It is said that the tomb was clearly visible from eight li east of Pucheng. Local legends about Danzhu are widely told.

The Tomb of Danzhu covers an area of 3 mu (approximately 0.2 hectares). Legend says the tomb was over 10 zhang (around 33 meters) high, but due to its location in a flood-prone area of the Yellow River basin, it has been covered multiple times by silt. Today, the top of the tomb stands about 3 meters above the ground, while the underground burial site remains well preserved.

Before 1964, it was a provincial-level cultural relic protection unit of Shandong Province (at that time, Fan County was under Shandong's jurisdiction). In 1983, the Fan County People’s Government erected a protective marker at the site. In December 1999, it was nominated as a provincial-level cultural relic protection unit of Henan Province.

In August 1975, Wang Mingrui from the Henan Provincial Museum conducted a trial excavation on the top of the Tomb of Danzhu. He dug a trench measuring 2 meters deep, 3 meters long, and 1.5 meters wide, revealing the stratified soil layers within the tomb. Artifacts unearthed included plain pottery basins and pots from the Warring States period, pottery jars and tripods from the Western Zhou Dynasty, as well as pottery shards and lids from the late Longshan Culture.

Historical Significance

This tomb is an important cultural site rich in diverse historical elements. It reflects the political, economic, and cultural development of the Pufan area over 4,000 years ago, and holds significant value for the study of ancient architecture and culture.