Tomb of Siling

Tomb of Siling

The Tomb of Siling is a cultural tourism attraction.

The Tomb of Siling is the burial site of Cao Zhi, who was enfeoffed as the Prince of Chen during the Three Kingdoms period under the Wei Dynasty.

The Henan General Annals records: “Cao Zhi’s tomb is located three li south of Chen Prefecture; he was enfeoffed as the Prince of Chen by the Wei.” The Qing Dynasty’s Comprehensive Gazetteer of the Great Qing states: “The tomb of Cao Zhi of Wei from the Three Kingdoms period is three li south of Huaining County.”

The four consecutive mounds, arranged from north to south, have heights of 12 meters, 4 meters, 7 meters, and 15 meters respectively, with burial mound areas of 1,656 square meters, 400 square meters, 900 square meters, and 3,000 square meters in sequence. The tallest mound at the southern end is the Tomb of Siling.

Cao Zhi, courtesy name Zijian, was the third son of Cao Cao and a native of Qiao County (present-day Bozhou, Anhui). He was a renowned poet of the Three Kingdoms period. In the history of Chinese literature, especially in the field of poetry, he achieved remarkable success and was highly praised by many notable figures throughout history. The famous poet Xie Lingyun of the Northern and Southern Dynasties once said: “Of all the talent in the world, which is one dan, Cao Zijian alone possesses eight dou.” Cao Zhi was exceptionally intelligent from childhood, capable of composing poetry and prose by the age of ten. At nineteen, his "Ode to the Bronze Sparrow Platform" became widely celebrated and earned him the favor of Cao Cao, who even considered making him his heir. However, because Cao Zhi was “willful and unpolished” and “arrogant due to his talent, looking down on everyone,” Cao Cao eventually lost trust in him.

After Cao Cao’s death, Cao Zhi’s brother Cao Pi and nephew Cao Rui harbored deep resentment toward him and subjected him to various persecutions. In an attempt to harm Cao Zhi, Cao Pi desperately sought evidence of wrongdoing but found none. One day, he summoned Cao Zhi to court and ordered him to compose a poem within seven steps, or face execution. Without hesitation, Cao Zhi immediately recited: “Boiling beans with beanstalks burning, / The beans in the pot weep. / We are born of the same root, / So why boil each other so fast?” Hearing this, Cao Pi was moved to tears. Though he did not kill Cao Zhi, he enfeoffed him as a marquis and prince, exiling him far from the capital and sidelining him. Even in exile, Cao Pi remained suspicious of Cao Zhi’s potential alliances and frequently transferred him—three times within eleven years—successively appointing him as the Prince of Yongqiu, the Prince of Dong’e, and the Prince of Chen. Cao Zhi repeatedly petitioned for an official role but was never granted his wish. Though titled as a prince, he lived like a prisoner, often melancholic, and eventually died in Chen at the young age of 41. Upon Cao Zhi’s death, four coffins were carried out simultaneously, out of fear that Cao Pi would desecrate his remains—hence the presence of four mounds. Posthumously, Cao Zhi was given the posthumous title “Si” (Thoughtful), hence he is also called “Prince Si of Chen,” and his tomb is referred to as the Tomb of Siling.

Since the Ming and Qing dynasties, literati and poets visiting Huaiyang have come here to pay their respects and composed poems in his memory. As a result, the Huaiyang County Annals preserves many fine literary works by these poets. The Ming Dynasty poet Dai Xin wrote in “Mist over the Tomb of Siling”: “Gazing at the mist over the Tomb of Siling, so vast and long, / Who in this world can still see the noble Cao? / Ancient trees stand tall in the spring rain, / Crows flash as they fly against the setting sun. / His poetic genius from the Seven Steps fades into silence, / A single dream of the mortal world turns desolate. / My eyes well up with tears for him without reason, / Wiping them away, I raise my cup in the east wind.”

Cao Zhi left behind many elegant literary works in his lifetime. About 80 poems survive today, along with roughly 40 more complete essays and fu (rhapsodies). Originally, his collected works comprised 30 volumes, most of which have been lost. His famous masterpiece, “Ode to the Goddess of Luo,” has been passed down through the ages and remains widely renowned. During his time in Chen, he composed two poems: “In Praise of Fuxi” and “In Praise of Shennong.” “In Praise of Fuxi” reads: “Of the virtue of wood, surname Feng, he created the Eight Trigrams. / Dragon-like auspices named his palaces, modeling laws after earth and heaven. / He regulated cooking sacrifices, used nets for fishing and hunting, / Made zithers and lutes to symbolize the times, connecting with divine mystery.” “In Praise of Shennong” reads: “Descendant of Shaodian, embodying the virtue of fire, he brought forth wood. / He created the plow and hoe, guiding the people to sow grain. / He established refined musical tones, to enrich the customs and manners.”

Source: Huaiyang Government Website