Stone Tomb

Stone Tomb

The village of Shifen in present-day Zhuzhai Township was named after the ancient tomb of Lu Huaijin, a chancellor of the Tang Dynasty during the Kaiyuan era. According to the *Yanjin County Annals*, Lu Huaijin was a native of Lingchang in Huaizhou during the Tang Dynasty. He rose through the ranks to become the Minister of the Central Secretariat and concurrently the Minister of Personnel. During the Kaiyuan era, he served as chancellor alongside Yao Chong, jointly assisting in the administration of state affairs. As an official, he was “upright and incorruptible,” “frugal and talent-loving.” He recommended virtuous individuals for government positions, advocating that “officials need not be many, but must be capable,” and in dealing with subordinates, he practiced “fair rewards and punishments without bias.” He was deeply respected by Emperor Xuanzong and the people alike.

Throughout his life, Lu Huaijin lived frugally. Most of the salary and gifts he received were distributed to old friends and relatives, and he did not invest in property, so that by the time of his death, his family still lived in a “humble and dilapidated house.” His tomb also “had no established stele or monument.” Once, when Emperor Xuanzong passed through the area on a hunting trip, he witnessed this scene and “was moved to tears.” He then issued an edict ordering officials to erect a stele and repair the tomb for him. This left behind many precious stone carvings. According to the *Henan General Annals*, “The tomb contains stone horses, stone sheep, ornamental pillars, and stone statues, commonly known as the Stone Tomb.” Elders from the local area recall that the original Stone Tomb site was vast, with a large cluster of stone sculptures in magnificent scale and vivid craftsmanship—truly a rarity among counties and prefectures. Unfortunately, during the “–” in 1958, all of them were destroyed and used for lime burning. Today, the Stone Tomb has long vanished without a trace. Only the descendants of the former tomb guards, who have multiplied over thousands of years, have now developed into a natural village, which still bears the name “Shifen.”