Tomb of Tan Qian

Tomb of Tan Qian

The Tomb of Tan Qian is a cultural relic protection unit of Gaoyao District.

The Tomb of Tan Qian is located in Wangdong Village, Huilong Town, Gaoyao City. It was originally built in the seventh year of the Yuanyou era of the Northern Song Dynasty (1084), and underwent renovations in the 21st year of the Yongle era of the Ming Dynasty (1423), the 21st year of the Jiaqing era of the Qing Dynasty (1816), and in 1999. This is a joint burial tomb for a couple, rectangular in shape, covering an area of approximately 120 square meters with a building area of 58.3 square meters. It faces southwest from the northeast, taking the form of a “grandmaster’s chair,” and is constructed with blue bricks and bluestone. The tomb is 5.3 meters deep and 11 meters wide. The lintel stone is made of bluestone, with a sun carved in the center at the top and flame patterns surrounding it. Below the lintel stone is a black stone epitaph, with the original tombstone concealed behind the newly erected one after renovation. The inscription reads: “The joint tomb of the distinguished and far-reaching ancestor Tan Gong, courtesy name Qian, the Late Song Dynasty’s Imperially Honored Minister of Justice, and his wife, Madam Zhu.” Behind the tomb is a semi-circular protective slope wall shaped like the back of a grandmaster’s chair, built with blue bricks and covered with bluestone slabs. On the left and right sides of the tomb are inlaid black stone tablets inscribed respectively with the “Epitaph of the Tomb of Tan Qian” from the 21st year of the Yongle era of the Ming Dynasty and the “Record of the Renovation of the Tomb of Tan Qian” from the 21st year of the Jiaqing era of the Qing Dynasty. The Tomb of Tan Qian was relocated to this site in the seventh year of the Yuanyou era of the Song Dynasty by Tan Chao duan, the great-grandson of Tan Qian (the second son of Tan Bo Cang, a Song Dynasty imperial scholar and Minister of Justice), who moved the tomb from Danfeng Ridge in Jiangxi. Tan Qian is regarded as the earliest ancestor of the Tan clan to have entered Guangdong during the Song Dynasty, and has been worshipped by Tan descendants across Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Taiwan, Hunan, Hong Kong, and Macau through the generations. The tomb is well-preserved and holds significant value for historical, cultural, and preservation research. It was designated as a Cultural Heritage Protection Unit of Gaoyao City in 2011.

Source: Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau

Wangdong Village: Located about 3 kilometers from Huilong Town, Wangdong Village covers a total area of 7.2 square kilometers, with 1,300 mu of arable land and nearly 10,000 mu of mountainous land, and comprises 9 villager groups. It has 249 households and a total population of 959, with a village committee consisting of 5 cadres. Wangdong Village makes full use of its small hills and terraced fields to guide farmers in developing farming and breeding industries, becoming a well-known goose-raising specialty village. The village also emphasizes the improvement of its appearance and environment, continuously upgrading facilities and investing funds in village beautification projects. At the same time, it strengthens rural grass-roots integrity and anti-corruption efforts, improving Party conduct and clean governance… More details about Wangdong Village++