The Joint Tomb of Zhang Kui and His Wife

The Joint Tomb of Zhang Kui and His Wife

The Joint Tomb of Zhang Kui and His Wife is a cultural tourism attraction.

The Joint Tomb of Zhang Kui and His Wife is located at the northern foot of Lotus Mountain in Xihe Natural Village, Jinnan Village, Qiandong Town, Raoping County. Built during the Song Dynasty, it faces northwest and is situated southeast, measuring 18 meters in width and 22 meters in total depth, covering an area of approximately 396 square meters. The rear part of the tomb features a burial mound, while the front includes a stone stele, an offering bed, a tomb platform, and a crescent-shaped pool. The stele stands 0.8 meters tall and 0.7 meters wide, inscribed with “The Tomb of Mr. Zhang Kui, Scholar of the Song Dynasty and Former Prefect of Xinzhou, and Lady Yang, Honored as贞壶夫人,” with the phrase “Famous Name in the Southern Skies” carved below. On both sides of the stele are stone slabs, each 0.8 meters tall and 0.6 meters wide, adorned with floral and linear patterns. The discovery of this tomb holds historical value for the study of Song Dynasty burial practices and contemporary folklore. In April 2011, it was designated as a county-level cultural heritage protection site by the Raoping County People’s Government.

Zhang Kui, also known as Baiju or Zhiyao, was a native of Longyan Chengdu (present-day Longdu in Chenghai District), Raoping. He was one of the Eight Eminent Scholars of Chaozhou. Born in the first year of the Xining era (1068) during the reign of Emperor Shenzong of the Northern Song Dynasty, he passed the imperial examination in the eighth year of the Zhenghe era (1118) under Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty. He served as the magistrate of Maoming County, where he strictly punished law-breaking local elites and corrupt officials, earning a promotion to the position of Tongpan (associate prefect) of Lianzhou. Later, he was promoted to Prefect of Xinzhou (present-day Xinxing County, Guangdong), where he established schools, funded education with his own salary, and developed water conservancy projects. He authored the literary work Collection of Lu Yin. Emperor Gaozong of the Song Dynasty commended his talent and bestowed upon him the imperial inscription “Famous Name in the Southern Skies” in praise. He retired at the age of seventy and returned to his hometown, passing away peacefully in the thirty-first year of Emperor Gaozong of the Southern Song Dynasty (1161) at the age of ninety-three.

Source: Office of the People’s Government of Raoping County

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