Tomb of Liu Sangwu

Tomb of Liu Sangwu

The Tomb of Liu Sangwu is a cultural relic protection unit of Hunan Province.

The Tomb of Liu Sangwu is located in Zhupi Group, Shipu Village, Yaolu Town, at Datangping. This ancient tomb faces south with its back to the north and features a blue-brick memorial archway about 4 meters high on the northern side. For this reason, locals refer to the site as "In Front of the Archway."

The Tomb of Liu Sangwu was built during the Yongle era of the Ming Dynasty (1403–1424). Since its completion, the Liu family has carried out restorations at different times, and what you see today is the result of renovations done during the Qingming Festival in 2001. Upon arriving at the tomb site, please first take note of the blue-brick memorial archway. It is higher in the center and lower on both sides, symmetrical and semi-encircling, resembling an unfurled screen. The top of the "screen" mimics the hip-and-gable roof structure, beneath which are two tiers of brick eaves that gradually contract, styled after traditional bracket sets (dougong). Below the eaves is a plain brick wall. In the center of the plain wall is inlaid a bas-relief portrait. Unfortunately, weathering has made the figures difficult to discern. Fortunately, the inscription “Founding Meritorious Official” below the relief and the spirit way stele are well preserved. Let’s take a closer look at the “Founding Meritorious Official” inscription. Notice the small characters on the left: “The 12th Year of the Chenghua Reign, Month of Si, Auspicious Day,” which translates to April 1476, the 12th year of the reign of the Ming Emperor Xianzong. Now look at the spirit way stele below the inscription. This stele is round at the top and square at the base, standing 1.63 meters tall and 0.7 meters wide, adorned with two bas-relief dragons. Please read aloud the text in the center of the stele: “Spirit Way of Liu Tanzhai, Grand Secretary of the Wenhua Hall of the Ming Dynasty.” Liu Sangwu, whose given name was Rushun, courtesy name Sangu, literary name Tanzhazhai, and later known as Yutang Laoren in his old age, confirms through the stele’s inscription that this is indeed his tomb. Also note the text on the left side of the stele: “The 10th Year of the Xianfeng Reign, Month of Zhongqiu, Gengshen Year,” indicating that this stele was carved and erected in August 1860.

After viewing the blue-brick memorial archway, please take a look at the surrounding stone walls and railings. The stone wall connects to the archway and stands on the northern side of the tomb site. The stone railings, similar in height to the wall at about 1 meter, are integrated with it. They encircle the tomb of Liu Sangwu from the east and west, leaving only an opening on the southern side where the tomb gate is located. Please observe these two stone railings closely. They consist of stone pillars and stone panels, joined together with mortise-and-tenon joints to form the complete structures you see. Notice how the tops of the pillars feature smooth, perfectly rounded finials with flowing lines, while the panels are adorned with intricately carved diamond-shaped lattice windows and vivid bas-reliefs of flowers and drifting clouds, giving them a light and graceful appearance. Such exquisite carvings are rare even by today’s standards and can be considered outstanding works of stone artistry.

The tomb mound is majestically enclosed by the archway, stone walls, and railings. Beyond its grandeur, the Tomb of Liu Sangwu also possesses unique features, particularly in the design of the tomb mound itself. The mound is built atop a circular tomb platform with a diameter of 9 meters. The use of a platform beneath the mound is one of the few such burial styles found among civilian tombs from the Ming and Qing dynasties. The entire mound has a domed shape and is encased in sandstone on the exterior, commonly known as a “steamed bun tomb.” This style originated from the burial mounds dating back to the Western Zhou Dynasty and was mainly popular in northern China. Its appearance in the southern Jiangnan region, where tomb chambers were more commonly used, is notably rare. Moreover, at the center of the mound sits a red sandstone-carved gourd — the gourd finial of the tomb mound. The sandstone-clad dome-shaped mound, paired with a gourd finial, is an exceptionally uncommon sight, at least within Chaling County. Finally, please observe the stone lions on the tomb platform and the stone horses at the tomb gate. The lions gaze intently, positioned facing each other, as if whispering across the mound. The horses appear calm, docile, and focused, as though waiting for their master to mount and depart. The presence of such finely carved stone artworks in the tomb complex is truly unique among the ancient tombs that still exist in Chaling.

Further Reading:

· Ninth Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Hunan Province