Tomb of Chen Pengnian

Tomb of Chen Pengnian

The Tomb of Chen Pengnian is a cultural relic protection unit of Hunan Province.

Chen Pengnian (1663–1723) was a native of Xiangtan, Hunan. He served successively as magistrate of Xi’an County in Zhejiang, magistrate of Shanyang County in Jiangnan, prefect of Jiangning, prefect of Suzhou, and Grand Canal Commissioner. He passed away in office at the age of 60.

After his death, the Qing court issued an edict for an elaborate burial. His tomb is solemn and grand in scale, stretching 50 meters from east to west and 15 meters from north to south. From east to west, it features pairs of stone lions, stone tigers, stone horses, stone oxen, stone sheep, and stone statues of officials, all neatly aligned. There is also a granite memorial archway, ornamental columns, and an imperial stele inscribed by Fang Bao, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites. Two tomb pavilions are located nearby. The main tombstone is inscribed with “Tomb of the Esteemed Chen Keqin.” The First-Rank Imperial Concubine Lady Shi, honored with an imperial title, is buried to the right of the tomb. It is said that the Dongcen Buddhist Temple at the foot of the eastern side of Dongwu Mountain and the Shiquan Retreat at the mountain’s peak were both places where Chen Pengnian studied in his youth. To the east and west of the tomb lie scenic spots such as Shilong Mountain and Penghe Temple. Shilong Mountain was once the hermitage of the late Song Dynasty literatus Li Bancun. There used to be a Shilong Temple, later renamed Cihang Nunnery. To the west is the Dongkou Reservoir. To the south are attractions such as Qingcui Peak, Baisha Well, and Shihuo Field. The former residence of Chen Biyou, a Qing Dynasty general, is also located here.

The coffin remained in the earthen chamber for three years before being relocated to his hometown of Dongwu Mountain in Xiangtan, Hunan. The Qing court granted 2,000 taels of silver from the treasury and issued an edict for an elaborate burial. The tomb is solemn and grand in scale, with the entire burial area stretching 50 meters in length and 15 meters in width. Ascending the steps, one finds pairs of stone tigers, stone horses, stone sheep, and stone statues of officials neatly arranged.

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In March 2019, the Tomb of Chen Pengnian was included in the tenth batch of provincial-level cultural relic protection units in Hunan Province.

Fenshui Township: A township under the jurisdiction of Xiangtan County. Established in 1950, it was merged into Jiaochang Township in 1956, came under the administration of Xingfu Commune in 1958, became Fenshui Commune in 1961, and was re-established as a township in 1984. Located in the southwestern part of the county, it is 43 kilometers from the county seat and covers an area of 92 square kilometers, with a population of 42,200. The township government is located in Tangguchangling. The area is accessible by road. It administers the following villages: Fenshuiao, Shazhou, Shuangfengchong, Huxingshan, Haotou, Shiqiao, Changfeng, Baishimiao, Beilin, Penghe, HuaiShuwan, Guanglin, Lihong, Shitong, Yang’en, Zhenhe, Baisha Well, Xinba, Huanshan, Xiaochong, Tianlong, Hejia, Jiaochang, … Detailed information on Fenshui Township++

Further Reading:

· Tenth Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units in Hunan Province