Tomb of Qing Wensheng

Tomb of Qing Wensheng

The Tomb of Qing Wensheng is a cultural relic protection unit of Hunan Province.

The historically renowned Tomb of Qing Wensheng is located outside a civilian house to the left of the Mahavira Hall at Nanchan Temple. A municipal-level protection plaque and a memorial stele renovated by his descendants have been added. The tomb site covers an area of 2,000 square meters and has been restored by later generations. The gravestone appears to be old, inscribed with “Tomb of the Hon

This tomb has a history of over 600 years. The deceased, Qing Wensheng, was merely a low-ranking official during the Hongwu era—serving as the registrar (典史) of Longyang County (present-day Hanshou County), essentially just an office manager for the county government. Why, after his death, did he receive a personal imperial edict from Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, posthumous honors, a state funeral, and even have a monument and biography erected in his memory? What’s the story behind this?

According to historical records, in the 24th year of the Hongwu reign, Longyang County was hit by severe flooding. The rice fields yielded nothing, and countless people died of starvation, drowning, or plague. Yet relief aid was delayed and failed to reach the people. It was truly a time of extreme hardship and suffering. Watching as the surviving populace teetered on the brink of collapse, Qing Wensheng traveled alone all the way from his remote home to the capital, Nanjing, hoping to meet Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang in person to report the dire situation and submit a petition—but his request was denied. One night after midnight, Qing Wensheng hanged himself beneath the Drum Tower at the imperial palace, where citizens could appeal directly to the emperor. He was only 32 years old. Upon hearing the news, Zhu Yuanzhang was deeply moved by Qing’s courage. He immediately sent officials to investigate and verify the claims. Subsequently, relief supplies were distributed to the people, and an imperial edict was issued permanently exempting Longyang County from paying 24,000 dan (a unit of grain measurement) of annual taxes—equivalent to about three-fifths of the county’s total tax burden. Qing Wensheng, who sacrificed his life to advise the emperor, was posthumously honored with the title “Duke of Benevolent Valor” (惠烈公). Zhu Yuanzhang personally arranged for his state funeral and burial in Zhushan Township, Hanshou County, and commissioned the construction of a high-standard tomb for him. To show their gratitude for the blessings brought by Qing Wensheng’s ultimate sacrifice, the people of Longyang built the Qing Family Ancestral Hall east of the county town. Today, however, the Qing Family Ancestral Hall no longer exists.

In March 2019, Qing Wensheng’s Tomb was included in the tenth batch of Hunan Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Further reading:

· Tenth Batch of Hunan Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units