The Shanglu Liao Tombs are located

The Shanglu Liao Tombs are located

The Shanglu Liao Tombs are a protected cultural heritage site of Hebei Province.

The Shanglu Liao Tombs are situated in Huangguyu, northwest of Shanglu Village, Shaheyi Town, Qian'an City, at 118°37′ east longitude and 39°58′ north latitude. To the north lies Heishiluo Mountain, with low hills on both the east and west sides, while the southern end consists of terraced fields in a valley gully, forming a ring-back chair shape, within which the tomb cluster is located.

Three ancient tombs have been discovered at the Shanglu Liao Tombs.

In 1964, a tomb was discovered on the southern slope of Niangnianggang in Shanglu Village. An epitaph recorded it as: the Tomb of Han Xiang of the Liao Dynasty. Provincial cultural relics authorities had Tang Mingyun write an article titled "The Tomb of Han Xiang of the Liao Dynasty at Shanglu Village, Qian'an, Hebei," which was published in Issue 5, 1973, of the magazine *Kaogu* (Archaeology). Eleven unearthed artifacts were recovered, including iron stirrups, cup stands, ewers, sparrow-goose head pitchers, plates, and bowls, along with two red sandstone sarcophagi.

In 1977, the second tomb was discovered. The Tangshan Municipal Bureau of Culture and the county cultural center jointly excavated and cleared it. The tomb is a regular hexagon, a single-chamber brick tomb with imitation wooden structure. Each side is 1.8 meters long and 3.40 meters high, with brick brackets built at the upper corners, all in a single-curved four-puzuo style. The eaves beam and above gradually taper inward to form a vaulted ceiling. The tomb door faces south and connects to an external passage. The northern wall features a false door, measuring 2.27 meters long, 0.76 meters wide, and 0.48 meters high. Burial objects were all placed south of the coffin bed, consisting of 24 items including porcelain, ironware, and bronze ware.

The porcelain items include sparrow-goose head pitchers, phoenix-neck bottle ewers, porcelain boxes, porcelain dishes, and porcelain bowls. These porcelains feature clean white bodies and dense, fine ceramic quality, especially the square dishes and ewers, whose glazes are glossy and crystal-clear. The ironware includes candlesticks, door locks, and stirrups. The bronze items consist of bronze mirrors, bowls, and several Tang and Song dynasty copper coins. Additionally, there is one stone epitaph box. The lid of the box is inscribed with five imitation Song-style characters: “Han Puye Ming Shi” (Inscription Stone of Han, Vice Minister), and the inside of the lid is carved with an astronomical diagram. The text of the epitaph was transcribed in 1977 by relevant personnel, containing the following: “Epitaph and Preface for the Tomb of Han Gong, Late Shunyi Army Military Governor, Silver-Green Chonglu Grand Master, Acting Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, Concurrent Imperial Censor, Cavalry Commandant, and Founder of Changli County with a Fief of 300 Households…” However, the epitaph stone itself was not preserved and was left buried on site. In the autumn of 1998, the Tangshan Cultural Relics Management Office and the Qian'an Cultural Relics Management Office cleared the tomb and retrieved the inscription stone, though its upper right corner was damaged. The bottom of the stone measures 79.5 by 75 cm, and the lid measures 78.6 by 72 cm.

The tomb owner, surnamed Han, has an unknown given name. Born in the 11th year of the Tonghe era, he passed away on the 10th day of the 3rd month of the 5th year of the Chongxi era and held the official position of Left Vice Minister.

Due to the fragmented condition of the epitaph text, details such as the date of composition and the tomb owner’s place of origin remain unclear.

A brief excerpt from the epitaph text is as follows:

“...diligent day and night, committed to integrity and capability, public-minded and untainted by corruption. ... Soon appointed as the Judge of the Central Capital Garrison, then promoted to Acting Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Works. Later, further honored with ... Concurrent Imperial Censor, Founder of Changli County with a Fief of 300 Households. Again appointed ... also tasked with defending the frontier, his achievements in managing the state treasury and military provisions were notable. ... His heart remained dedicated to his duties until his position ran its course, never attaining the rank of duke or marquis. Suddenly stricken by misfortune, his life came to an early end. Medical treatment proved ineffective, and he passed away on the 10th day of the 3rd month of the 5th year of the Chongxi era, at the age of 45. On the 27th day of the 9th month of the 8th year, he was buried on the sunny side of Xi’an Mountain in Pingzhou, in accordance with proper rites.”

According to *Cihai* (Sea of Words), during the Three Kingdoms period, the Wei Dynasty divided the eastern part of Youzhou and established it here, with its seat in Xiangping (present-day Liaoyang, Liaoning). It was soon abolished and incorporated back into Youzhou. In the 4th year of Tianci during the Northern Wei Dynasty, it was reestablished with its seat in Feiru (near Wanjun Mountain, eastern Qian'an City, Hebei Province). During the Tang Dynasty, its seat was moved to Lulong, covering an area roughly equivalent to the regions east of the Dou River basin and south of the Great Wall in today’s Hebei. Furthermore, according to the *History of Liao*, in the 2nd year of Tiance during the reign of Emperor Taizu of Liao, the area was captured and resettled with captives from Dingzhou, governed under two prefectures and three counties — namely, Luanzhou, Yingzhou, Lulong County, Wangdu County, and Anxi County (with its seat in present-day Qian'an City).

In 1992, while locals were digging for sweet potatoes, another brick-chamber tomb was discovered, though heavily damaged. The county cultural relics protection office quickly carried out clearance work, unearthing broken porcelain items such as plates and bowls, as well as one fragmentary iron stirrup.

These three ancient tombs discovered in the area, based on the unearthed relics and fragmented inscriptions, are believed to be the burial grounds of the Han family, a high-ranking official clan of the Liao Dynasty.

In 2001, the Shanglu Liao Tombs were designated as a provincial-level cultural heritage site by the People’s Government of Hebei Province.

Shanglu Village: Shanglu Village... More detailed information about Shanglu Village++

Further reading:

· Fourth Batch of Protected Cultural Heritage Sites of Hebei Province