Tomb of Di Renjie

Tomb of Di Renjie

The Tomb of Di Renjie is a cultural relic protection unit of Luoyang City.

The Tomb of Di Renjie is located outside the mountain gate of the White Horse Temple in Baima Temple Town, Luoyang Suburban District, about 12 kilometers east of Luoyang City. It is a circular earthen mound. In front of the tomb, there are currently two stone tablets. The larger one bears eight characters: “Tomb of the Loyal Minister Di Lianggong of the Tang Dynasty,” which was re-erected in the 21st year of the Wanli reign during the Ming Dynasty (1593).

Born in the 4th year of the Zhenguan reign of the Tang Dynasty (630) and died in the 1st year of the Jiushi reign of Empress Wu Zetian (700), he was named Huaiying, and was a native of Taiyuan in Bingzhou (present-day Taiyuan, Shanxi) during the Tang Dynasty. He served as a chancellor during the reign of Empress Wu Zetian and was an outstanding feudal politician. In the 1st year of Jiushi (700), Di Renjie passed away from illness, causing deep sorrow among both the court and the public. Empress Wu Zetian wept and said, “The court is now empty.” He was posthumously granted the title of Vice Director of the Ministry of Ceremonial and given the posthumous name Wenhuì. When Emperor Zhongzong of Tang ascended the throne, he was further honored with the title of Minister of Works. Later, Emperor Ruizong of Tang also conferred upon him the title of Duke of Liang. Since Xue (likely referring to Xue Huaiyi) had also once been titled Duke of Liang, some have speculated that this tomb might actually be that of Xue Huaiyi.

The smaller tablet is divided vertically into three sections, engraved with several elegiac poems and prefaces written by the Ming scholar Zhou Ding and Yu Tingxi, the governor of Henan, and was erected in the 3rd year of the Tianshun reign of the Ming Dynasty (1459). Di Renjie (630–700), courtesy name Huaiying, was a native of Taiyuan, Shanxi, and a famous chancellor of the Tang Dynasty. After his death, he was conferred the title of Duke of Liang. This tomb has since been expanded and converted into the Di Gong Memorial Temple.

Address: Baima Temple Town, Luolong District, Luoyang City (near the White Horse Temple)

Type: Cemetery/Tomb

Recommended visiting time: 10–20 minutes

Opening hours:

7:30-17:30

Ticket information:

No separate ticket required. Included in the 50 RMB admission fee for the White Horse Temple scenic area.

Di Renjie (630–700), courtesy name Huaiying, was a native of Yangqu County (now Di Village in the southern suburbs of Taiyuan City). He was a renowned official of the Tang Dynasty, served as a chancellor during the reign of Empress Wu Zetian, and was an outstanding statesman.

Di Renjie’s grandfather, Xiaoxu, served as the Left Assistant Director of the Ministry of Personnel during the Zhenguan era. His father, Zhixun, once held the position of Chief Historian of Kuizhou. Di Renjie passed the imperial examination in the category of Mingjing and was appointed as a Judicial Assistant in Bianzhou. He earned the recognition of Yan Liben, the Inspector of Officials for the Henan Circuit, who promoted him to the position of Legal Advisor in the Taiyuan Regional Military Command. In the 1st year of the Yifeng reign of Emperor Gaozong (676), Di Renjie became a Judicial Officer, resolving over 17,000 backlogged cases within a year. From then on, he was known for his divine judgment and skill in exposing treachery… More details on Di Renjie++

Baima Temple Village: Baima Temple Village… More details on Baima Temple Village++