Xia Sitong’s Tomb

Xia Sitong’s Tomb

Xia Sitong’s Tomb is a cultural relic protection unit of Hunan Province.

Xia Sitong’s Tomb

Era: Republican Era

Address: Longjiawan Group, Xinpuzi Village, Wutan Town, Taojiang County.

The tomb of Xia Sitong, a figure from the Xinhai Revolution, is located in Longjiawan, Dongliu Village, Wutan Town, Taojiang County, about 2 kilometers from Wutan Town. In 1924, the tomb was moved from Hankou to Wutan, Taojiang, and buried together with his nephew. It is a skeletal grave, built on a prominent high platform with slab stones forming the base. The base is 1.5 meters high, and in front stands a bluestone tombstone. The stele is 1.68 meters tall, 0.73 meters wide, and 0.12 meters thick, inscribed directly with “Tomb of Elder Xia Sitong”. On the side is engraved the text “Inscribed by Yu Youren, January, Twenty-fourth Year”, with large characters in bold relief regular script. The characters are decorated with dragon and phoenix patterns around the pillars, and the perimeter is adorned with scroll floral designs. The carving is exquisite, with smooth lines.

In 1984, the People’s Government of Taojiang County issued a document listing Xia Sitong’s Tomb as a county-level key cultural relic protection unit. In November 2004, the People’s Government of Yiyang City declared it a municipal-level cultural relic protection unit.

Historical Evolution

1. Xia Sitong’s Tomb was relocated from Hankou to Wutan, Taojiang in 1924 and buried together with his nephew.

2. After the founding of New China, it became a base for patriotic education.

3. In 1984, the People’s Government of Taojiang County issued a document listing Xia Sitong’s Tomb as a county-level key cultural relic protection unit.

4. In November 2004, the People’s Government of Yiyang City declared it a municipal-level cultural relic protection unit.

Value Assessment

Xia Sitong, a late Qing Dynasty scholar, early on followed Sun Yat-sen in the struggle to overthrow the Qing Dynasty, and later joined Cai E’s uprising in Yunnan. He served as Vice Director of Yunnan, Consultant to the Hunan Military Governor’s Office, and the Martial Yue Pacification Commissioner of the Sun Yat-sen Grand Marshal’s Headquarters. Deeply concerned for his country and people, filled with indignation, he emulated Qu Yuan’s act of embracing sand and committed suicide by jumping into the river at Parrot Islet, Hanyang, on the Dragon Boat Festival in the lunar calendar year 1924, at the age of seventy. In 1984, the People’s Government of Taojiang County listed Xia Sitong’s Tomb as a county-level key cultural relic protection unit. In November 2004, the People’s Government of Yiyang City declared it a municipal-level cultural relic protection unit. After liberation, Xia Sitong’s Tomb became an important site for local schools, factories, and groups to pay their respects, holding profound educational significance and historical value.

Xia Sitong (1854–1924), whose given name was Shouhua and courtesy name Zhuochun, was also known by his late-stage pseudonym Sitong. He was a native of Zaizicun, Wutan, and a renowned bourgeois democratic revolutionary and patriotic poet during the Xinhai Revolution period.

Xia Sitong was born into a family of farmers and scholars. In 1897, he participated in the prefectural examination of the Shuntian Prefecture and was appointed as a Tongpan (magistrate). After the First Sino-Japanese War, Xia Sitong grew resentful of the corruption and incompetence of the Qing government and began engaging in anti-Qing revolutionary activities. In 1900, he planned to assassinate Empress Dowager Cixi, and in 1907, he conspired to assassinate Xu Shichang, the Viceroy of the Three Eastern Provinces. He planned and participated in the 1900 Hubei Self-Strengthening Army Uprising, the 1903 Yun... For more detailed information on Xia Sitong ++

Xinpuzi Village: Xinpuzi Village... For more detailed information on Xinpuzi Village ++