Tomb of Meng Jia

Tomb of Meng Jia

The Tomb of Meng Jia is a cultural tourism attraction.

The tomb of Meng Jia from the Jin Dynasty is located on Mengjia Mountain, northeast of Fushui Reservoir. Meng Jia (296–349 AD), courtesy name Wannian, was a native of Yangxin. He was the great-grandson of Meng Zong, Minister of Works in the Wu Kingdom during the Three Kingdoms period, and also the maternal grandson of Tao Yuanming. Meng Jia served successively in the Eastern Jin as an official in Luling, Chief Clerk to the General Who Conquers the West, and Central Clerk. He was erudite, quick-witted, composed and open-minded, and never blindly followed others. In 345 AD, when the General Who Conquers the West, Huan Wen, led his subordinates on an outing to Longshan Mountain (north of Yangxin), Meng Jia’s hat was blown off without him noticing. After a while, Huan Wen ordered someone to retrieve the hat and return it to Meng Jia, then instructed his staff officer Sun Sheng to compose a satirical essay about the incident. Meng Jia immediately responded with an impromptu piece of writing, completing it swiftly with elegant prose that earned admiration from all present. Since then, the story of “Meng Jia Losing His Hat on Longshan” has become a timeless anecdote. In 346 AD, Meng Jia returned to his hometown to serve as the Magistrate of Yangxin County, where he later passed away. Meng Jia’s great-great-grandfather, Meng Zong, was known for his filial piety. The story of “Meng Zong Weeping Over Bamboo Shoots in Winter,” from the Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars, has been passed down in China for over 1,000 years and remains popular to this day. Nowadays, people in Taiwan highly value Meng Zong bamboo, praising its toughness and resistance to pests. Unfortunately, due to years of neglect, Meng Jia’s tomb is now in danger of being lost to history.

Meng Jia, courtesy name Wannian, was a native of Xiangxian County in Jiangxia Commandery. He was a renowned scholar, official, and great-grandson of Meng Zong, Minister of Works in the Wu Kingdom during the Three Kingdoms period, as well as the maternal grandfather of the famous pastoral poet Tao Yuanming. Early in life, he gained fame in the capital. Later, he held positions such as Official in Luling, Assistant Prefect of Jiangzhou, and Military Staff Officer to the General Who Conquers the West. In these roles, he earned the esteem and appreciation of figures such as Yu Liang, Chu Pou, and Huan Wen, and even received a personal audience with Emperor Mu of Jin. In his later years, he served for a long time in Huan Wen’s administration, holding the posts of Central Clerk and Chief Clerk. He passed away at the age of fifty-three (some sources say fifty-one). He left behind the famous anecdote of “Meng Jia Losing His Hat.” His life is mainly recorded in... More detailed information about Meng Jia ++