The Tomb Cluster of the Han Princes of Liang

The Tomb Cluster of the Han Princes of Liang

The Tomb Cluster of the Han Princes of Liang is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Tomb Cluster of the Han Princes of Liang is located on Mangdang Mountain in the northeast of Yongcheng City, Henan Province. It is the burial site of Liu Wu, the Prince of Liang during the Western Han Dynasty, as well as his descendants. Starting with Liu Wu, it is believed that all subsequent Princes of Liang from the Western Han were buried here on Mangdang Mountain, along with their queens, concubines, and high-ranking officials. The exact number of underground palaces remains unclear. Aside from the main peak, which has not yet been discovered, more than twenty Han-era imperial tombs of the Princes of Liang have been identified. These include the Tomb of Liu Wu, Prince of Liang, on Bao'an Mountain; the Tomb of Queen Li; the Mural Tomb in Shiyuan; the Tomb with Jade Burial Suit Sewn with Gold Thread on Xishan; the Tomb of the Queen; Tombs 1 and 2 on Huangtushan; Tombs 1 and 2 on Yaoshan; Tombs 1 and 2 on Nanshan; Tombs 1, 2, and 3 on Fuzishan; and Tombs 1, 2, and 3 on Tiejiaoshan. On November 20, 1996, the cluster was designated as part of the fourth group of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units by the State Council. The excavated Mural Tomb in Shiyuan, the Tomb of Liu Wu, Prince of Liang, and the Tomb of Queen Li within the Liu Wu Mausoleum area on Bao'an Mountain have become major tourist attractions in the Mangdang Mountain Cultural Heritage Tourism Zone, drawing numerous visitors daily who come to explore history and mystery.

In 1992, archaeological excavations were carried out on Tomb 2 on Bao'an Mountain and the discovered residential palace of Liu Wu, Prince of Liang. These digs revealed the architectural layout of the mausoleum complex and the residential palace, as well as the arrangement of all Liang royal tombs from Liu Wu onward. The mausoleums of Liu Wu and his queens are situated around Bao'an Mountain, enclosed by mausoleum walls, with the overall layout being nearly square.

The residential palace of Liu Wu is located slightly north of the eastern side of the tomb. It has a rectangular floor plan, measuring 110 meters from north to south and 60 meters from east to west. It consists of several parts including perimeter walls, corridors, the main palace structure, courtyards, and rooms. At the southernmost end is an outer courtyard outside the residential palace, referred to in historical texts as the “outer court.” Inside the main gate of the residential palace lies a large rectangular courtyard surrounded by corridors, with a nearly square elevated structure—the main palace building—on the northern side. This main palace building is the central structure of the residential palace, built on a rammed earth platform surrounded by corridors. The base is lined with neatly arranged column bases, which served as wall pillars around the palace. Behind the main palace are rows of rooms, reflecting the traditional Chinese architectural layout of “front court, rear chambers.” On the protective walls on both sides of the eastern gate of the residential palace, there are square stone blocks used in the wall construction. Five inscribed characters have been found on these stones, including “2nd day of the 2nd month, Jiwei,” “3rd day of the 3rd month, Jiwei,” “5th day of the 5th month, Renshen,” and “1st day of the 1st month, Jichou.” Based on these, it can be inferred that the construction of the residential palace of Liu Wu began in 150 BC. The residential palace dates back to the early Western Han period. Its architectural style retains the ritualistic characteristics of the pre-Qin era but also shows evolution, playing a transitional role in the history of Chinese architecture.

The Tomb of Queen Li of Liu Wu is located 200 meters north of the Tomb of Liu Wu. It is a large cliff tomb, where the main chamber cuts through the northern peak of Bao'an Mountain, forming two entrances on the east and west sides. The tomb is 210 meters long, with an interior area of 1,600 square meters, consisting of two tomb passages, three corridors, and thirty-four chambers. The entire tomb resembles an underground palace and is currently the largest and most structurally complex large-scale tomb ever discovered. The tomb contains thousands of stone plugs, each weighing about one ton, most of which are inscribed. These provide important information for studying the structure and age of the tomb. A burial pit was discovered to the south of the queen’s tomb, yielding nearly 2,000 artifacts including gold-plated bronze chariot and horse fittings, jade objects, and weapons. The chariot and horse fittings are practical items, large in size and exquisitely crafted, representing the highest level of craftsmanship in the Han Dynasty. A bronze seal inscribed with “Liang Hou Yuan” (“Garden of the Queen of Liang”) was also unearthed, providing direct evidence for identifying the tomb owner.

The Shiyuan Tomb is named after its location behind Shiyuan Village. Judging from its structure, it likely belonged to a prince of Liang. The ceiling and sides of the main chamber feature a large mural with vivid colors and smooth lines. It is one of the earliest and best-preserved large murals discovered in China to date.

The Xishan Tomb is located at the summit of Xishan Mountain, northeast of the Tomb of Liu Wu. It is a vertical rock-cut tomb with a vertical shaft and earthen pit. The tomb entrance faces east. The front section of the tomb passage yielded a large number of exquisite jade artifacts, including over seventy jade discs, twenty-four jade ornaments for knives and swords, as well as jade ge (dagger-axes), jade gui (ceremonial blades), jade pigs, jade doves, and jade figurines of male and female dancers. Over a thousand jade fragments unearthed from the tomb have been restored into a complete jade burial suit sewn with gold thread. This is the second time a relatively intact such suit has been discovered, following the one found in the Mancheng Han Tombs.

In 1996, the Tomb Cluster of the Han Princes of Liang was designated as part of the fourth group of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units by the State Council.

Liu Wu ( ? – 144 BC), a feudal prince of the Liang Kingdom during the Western Han Dynasty, was the second legitimate son of Emperor Wen of Han (Liu Heng) and the full younger brother of Emperor Jing of Han (Liu Qi). His mother was Empress Dou.

In 178 BC (the 2nd year of Emperor Wen’s reign), he was enfeoffed as the Prince of Dai. In 176 BC (the 4th year of Emperor Wen’s reign), he was transferred to be the Prince of Huaiyang. In 168 BC (the 12th year of Emperor Wen’s reign), after the death of Prince Xiao of Liang (Liu Yi) without an heir, Liu Wu succeeded as the Prince of Liang. During the Rebellion of the Seven States, Liu Wu led troops to resist the allied forces of Wu and Chu, defending the Liang capital of Suiyang (present-day Shangqiu, Henan) and safeguarding the national capital of Chang’an. He rendered great service. Later, relying on the favor of Empress Dou and the vast resources of the Liang Kingdom... [More details on Liu Wu]

Further Reading:

· Fourth Group of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units