Tomb of Cen Peng

Tomb of Cen Peng

The Tomb of Cen Peng is a cultural relic protection unit of Dengzhou City.

The tomb mound of Cen Peng is in the form of a high platform, square in shape, with each side measuring 25 meters, a height of 4 meters, and an area of over 600 square meters. It is surrounded by farmland. Originally, the tomb was much larger, but due to soil extraction and weathering, it has remained in its current state.

Cen Peng was one of the Twenty-Eight Generals of Emperor Guangwu of the Eastern Han Dynasty on the Cloud Terrace, with the courtesy name Junran. He was a native of Jiyang in Nanyang (present-day Zhuanqiao Village, Xiaoyangying Township, Dengzhou City). Cen Peng, along with Yan Shuo (the "Deputy Prefect" under Wang Mang’s regime, known as Xian Dui at the time), defended Nanyang. After months of siege and when food ran out and cannibalism occurred within the city, they surrendered. The generals of the Gengshi regime wanted to execute them, but Liu Yan (Liu Xiu’s elder brother, courtesy name Baisheng), who had some political foresight, spared them and assigned them to Liu Yin’s forces. After the defeat of the Gengshi regime, Cen Peng brought along the Governor of Henei, Han Xin, and surrendered to Emperor Guangwu.

As someone who had surrendered and switched sides, Cen Peng earned Emperor Guangwu’s trust solely through his own achievements in night assaults and city captures. His major accomplishments include persuading Zhu Wei to surrender Luoyang; joining Guangwu in defeating Deng Feng and Dong Xin; successively annihilating and driving Yan Cen and Qin Feng into Shu; accompanying Guangwu in the northern campaign against Wei Xiao; and joining the Grand Marshal Wu Han in the campaign to conquer Western Shu. When their battle plans differed—Cen Peng advocated a combined land and water assault while the Grand Marshal preferred to abandon the water route and advance by land—Cen Peng petitioned Emperor Guangwu for a decision. The emperor replied to Cen Peng: “The Grand Marshal is experienced in commanding infantry and cavalry but knows nothing of naval warfare. Matters concerning Jingmen shall be entirely entrusted to you, the General Conquering the South (at the time, Cen Peng had been appointed as General Conquering the South).” Thus, Cen Peng advanced by both land and water, pushing all the way to the vicinity of Chengdu. Sun Xiu of Shu exclaimed in shock, striking the ground with his staff: “What kind of divine force is this?”—a testament to the swiftness of Cen Peng’s advance. In the 12th year of the Jianwu era (36 AD), Sun Xiu sent an assassin disguised as a runaway slave who surrendered and then assassinated Cen Peng by night.

The Book of the Later Han, in the Biography of Cen Peng, concludes: “During the revival [of the Han], many generals achieved fame and merit, but only Cen Peng and Feng Yi were granted regional military commands. Their accomplishments west of the Hangu Pass (Feng) and south of Fangcheng (Cen) were truly great.” After his death, Cen Peng was posthumously honored with the title Duke Zhuang.

The Tomb of Cen Peng is located 50 meters north of Deng-Xin (Yecheng) Highway, north of Anzhong Village, Yangying Township, Dengzhou City. It lies 7.5 kilometers east of Xinye County, 50 kilometers north of Wolonggang in Nanyang (where Zhuge Liang lived in seclusion), 60 kilometers south of the ancient Longzhong in Xiangyang, 190 kilometers southwest of the Taoist sacred site Wudang Mountain, 85 kilometers northwest of the Neixiang County Yamen, and 25 kilometers from various attractions in Dengzhou urban area such as the Baligang Site, Huazhou Academy, the Exhibition Hall of the Unofficial Lei Feng Unit, Wuli Mausoleum, and Fusheng Temple Pagoda.

This tomb was designated as a county-level cultural relic protection unit by the former People’s Government of Deng County in 1957. It is under the protection of the Anzhong Village Committee of Xiaoyangying Township, and the tomb structure remains intact.

Zhuanqiao Village: Zhuanqiao Village is located at the northernmost part of Xiaoyangying Township, adjacent to Sangzhuang Town, with Deng-Xin Highway passing through the village. The village consists of three natural villages, 12 villager groups, a population of 2,750, and 4,285 mu of arable land.

In recent years, under the guidance of the Party’s policies, both the appearance of our village and its economic development have improved significantly. Especially since the implementation of the “4+2” working method, relations between cadres and villagers, as well as between the Party and the masses, have become much more harmonious, resolving many long-standing issues. Specific manifestations include:

I. Village Renovation

… More details about Zhuanqiao Village ++