Tomb of Li Si

Tomb of Li Si

The Tomb of Li Si is a cultural relic protection unit of Henan Province.

The Tomb of Li Si is located about 6 kilometers southwest of Shangcai County, southeast of Lisi Lou Village, and approximately 1.5 kilometers east of the Shangzhu Highway. It stands 57 meters high.

The tomb is a circular mound, measuring 22.5 meters from east to west and 27 meters from north to south. The mound was built layer by layer using rammed earth, with relatively large ramming impressions. In front of the tomb stands a stone stele, and greenery has been planted around it. To prevent soil erosion on the mound, protective walls have been built around it in recent years, and several tiers of cement steps have been constructed at the front.

According to "Records of the Grand Historian: Biographies of Li Si": "Li Si was a native of Shangcai in the state of Chu." (Shangcai refers to present-day Shangcai County, which was part of Chu in ancient times.) He was a renowned statesman, military strategist, litterateur, and calligrapher of the Qin Dynasty, later hailed as the "Prime Minister for All Ages." He "studied the art of governance under Xunzi," and after completing his studies, traveled west to the State of Qin. He was first appointed by King Ying Zheng of Qin as a Senior Clerk and later as Imperial Censor, becoming a "key minister" ("Records of the Grand Historian: Annals of Qin Shi Huang"). Militarily, Li Si assisted King Ying Zheng in conquering Han, Zhao, Yan, Wei, Chu, and Qi, unifying China within ten years. This ended centuries of warfare among rival states during the Warring States period and ushered in a new historical era. Politically, after the unification of the country, Qin Shi Huang appointed Li Si as Chancellor. Li Si helped the emperor abolish the feudal system and establish commanderies and counties, founding the first centralized feudal state in Chinese history—an administrative model that influenced China’s social system for two thousand years. He also assisted the emperor in unifying carriage axles, writing scripts, weights and measures, and currency, aligning the nation in terms of culture, commerce, and social etiquette, thus propelling the development of the Qin Empire. Lu Xun praised Li Si’s writings, saying, “The literature of the Qin Dynasty was the work of Li Si alone.” Li Si had a profound impact on the history of Chinese calligraphy; works such as the "Langya Stone Inscriptions," "Mount Tai Stone Inscriptions," and "Yishan Stone Inscriptions" are rare masterpieces in Chinese calligraphy history. Zhang Huaiguan lauded them as: “Small seal script reaching divine mastery, large seal script achieving exquisite beauty.” After the death of Qin Shi Huang, Li Si was framed by Zhao Gao, executed by waist-chopping in Xianyang, and buried by the Ru River at the foot of Luge, now the southeast of present-day Lisi Lou Village. After Li Si’s death, Zhao Gao sent people to dig up his former residence in Shangcai to a depth of three feet. Today, sites such as “Li Si Pit” and “Li Si Well” still remain in Shangcai.

Li Si assisted Qin Shi Huang in establishing China’s first centralized feudal state. He abolished the feudal system, implemented commanderies and counties, clarified laws and statutes, unified writing, carriage measurements, and weights and measures, making significant contributions to the political reforms, economic development, and cultural progress of the Qin Dynasty. Alongside Shang Yang and Lü Buwei, he was listed in the biographical sections of the "Records of the Grand Historian." While Shang Yang’s reforms strengthened Qin, and Lü Buwei’s governance enriched it, Li Si helped Qin Shi Huang accomplish the historic feat of unifying the six states. Thus, historians refer to Li Si as the “Prime Minister for All Ages.” In September 2000, the Tomb of Li Si was designated as part of the third group of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Henan Province by the Henan Provincial People's Government.

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Henan Province