Donggou Mural Tomb

Donggou Mural Tomb

The Donggou Mural Tomb is a cultural relic protection unit of Hebei Province.

The Donggou Mural Tomb is located in Donggou Village, Dongzhazi Township, Chicheng County. This tomb is a single-chamber, domed, circular structure built with fluted bricks, consisting of a burial chamber and a passage. It has a plan diameter of approximately 4.5 meters, covering an area of 14.8 square meters, with a height of 4.8 meters. The combined area of the burial chamber and passage is about 200 square meters.

The passage faces south. The burial chamber is surrounded by murals, with a 12-centimeter-wide circular band protruding between the upper part of the wall and the ceiling. The ceiling is painted with white dots symbolizing a star map. Six evenly spaced brick pillars surround the walls, supporting five auxiliary bracket sets. The front features three carved and painted false doors—large in the center and smaller on the sides. Symmetrical lattice windows are carved on the east and west sides. The southern side is the passage, which is 1.9 meters high and 1.25 meters wide, with murals of Khitan attendants on both sides, primarily depicting flowers and birds. The tomb chamber is relatively large, the bracket sets are complex, and the combination of carving and painting showcases fine architectural craftsmanship. Based on the structure of the tomb and the unearthed artifacts, it is determined to be an early Liao Dynasty burial site.

In July 1993, it was designated as a provincial-level cultural relic protection unit by the People's Government of Hebei Province.

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Hebei Province