Tomb of Liu Lianjie

Tomb of Liu Lianjie

The Tomb of Liu Lianjie is a cultural tourism attraction.

The Tomb of Liu Lianjie is located on Xintang Mountain in Matoushan Township. Liu Lianjie, also known as Nansheng, was a native of Yangjiatan in the city. He served as a county magistrate, was promoted to prefect, then advanced to provincial judge, and was further granted the title of provincial treasurer. He eventually rose to the position of Viceroy of Liangjiang (covering Jiangxi and Jiangsu), was bestowed the honorary title of Guanglu Grand Master, awarded the first-rank official hat by imperial decree, and posthumously honored as Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent. He passed away in the 13th year of the Guangxu reign (1887) at the age of 53.

The tomb is surrounded by a protective wall made of blue bricks. At the entrance stands a 7-meter-high memorial archway inscribed with the characters “Imperial Edict” and adorned with carvings of flying dragons and dancing phoenixes. Thirty meters from the tomb is a brick shrine, which houses a large stone turtle and a stele resting on it. The stele bears the epitaph. A flight of stone steps leads from the shrine to the tomb mound, lined with tall cypress trees. Along the path, pairs of stone pillars, stone horses, stone sheep, stone tigers, and stone figures are symmetrically placed. These exquisitely carved stone sculptures are finely detailed—some standing, some crouching, some kneeling, some lying down—each in unique poses and lifelike forms. They are all mounted on stone bases, each weighing several thousand pounds. Climbing the stone steps and passing the ceremonial stone and incense burner, one finally reaches the tomb chamber. The chamber is constructed from large bluestones, blue bricks, and lime-soil mixture, and features a marble stele. The surrounding stone walls are adorned with reliefs depicting scenes such as the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, the Seven Fairies Descending to Earth, and King Wen Visiting a Sage. These delicate carvings are set within a shaded, lush green environment, creating an exceptionally serene atmosphere.