Tomb of Lai Chang

Tomb of Lai Chang

The Tomb of Lai Chang is a cultural relic protection unit of Guangdong Province.

The Tomb of Lai Chang is located in Zhanggang Village and Lianxi Village, Qilin Town, Puning City, Jieyang. Dating back to the Qing Dynasty.

Lai Chang (1833–1884), styled Yunting, was from Qimei Village, Puning. In the third year of the Xianfeng reign (1853) during the Qing Dynasty, he joined the Qing army, successively serving under Zeng Guofan and Zuo Zongtang in military campaigns against the Taiping Rebellion, rising to the rank of deputy general. He was later promoted for eliminating the Taiping general Wang Haiyang and capturing Jiaying Prefecture (now Meizhou City), receiving the title of acting general and temporarily assuming the post of lieutenant colonel of the Left Battalion of the Fujian-Zhejiang Governor’s Guard.

He dedicated himself to military innovation, establishing a new-style equipped force known as the “Anwu Army.” Later, he also participated in suppressing the Hui Muslim anti-Qing uprising in Shaanxi and Gansu, defeating the Russian invading forces that had occupied Ili in Xinjiang, overseeing the affairs of the Arsenal Bureau, and successfully developing qualified Western-style breech-loading cannons, which were then deployed to the Qing army, among numerous other distinguished military achievements.

Lai Chang was bestowed the honor of “First-Class Peerage Cap Decoration,” and in the tenth year of the Guangxu reign (1884), was awarded the title of Provincial Commander. Recommended by Vice Minister Xu Yingshu, he was appointed to the Fujian Shipyard Administration.

The Tomb of Lai Chang is situated on Hudi Mountain, Zhanggang Village, Qilin Town, Puning City, at longitude 116°20′15.1″ east and latitude 23°23′58.6″ north, with an elevation of 410 meters. The tomb was built in the tenth year of the Guangxu reign (1884) during the Qing Dynasty, oriented westward.

The tomb measures 9.80 meters in width and 24.5 meters in length, and is entirely constructed from granite. The gravestone stands 1.20 meters high and 0.70 meters wide, inscribed with: “Tomb of the Qing Ancestral Father, General Jianwei, Yunting Lai, and his First-Rank Lady Chen Jing’e.”

The offering platform is 1.08 meters long, 0.56 meters wide, and 0.36 meters high. In front of the grave are two stone pillars, two stone lions, and two stone flagpole stands symmetrically placed on both sides. The grave facade and screen wall feature stone carvings of figures, auspicious beasts, and scrolling vines, with several pairs of couplets engraved on the screen wall’s dividing columns.

Approximately 1,500 meters northwest of the Tomb of Lai Chang stands a large memorial stele. The stele is 2.60 meters high, 0.82 meters wide, and 0.27 meters thick, inscribed with: “The Tomb Path of the Imperial Qing Honorary General Jianwei, First-Class Peerage Cap Decoration, Fujian Nominated Provincial Commander, Military Gate Officer, Awarded Peacock Feather, Fafaling’a Batulu, Yunting Lai.”

Lai Chang, styled Yunting, was a native of Guangdong during the Qing Dynasty. When Zuo Zongtang served as Governor-General of Fujian and Zhejiang, Lai was one of his subordinates. After Zuo was transferred to be Governor-General of Shaanxi and Gansu, Lai remained in Fuzhou as a reserve deputy general. Lai was exceptionally intelligent and, while engaged in the Westernization Movement in Fujian, replicated Western weapon designs to produce iron guns, iron cannons, and relatively advanced breech-loading firearms. In July 1872, upon Zuo Zongtang’s orders, he was reassigned to serve as the head of the Lanzhou Arsenal. When Lai arrived in Lanzhou, he brought some machinery and tools, recruited skilled craftsmen from Fujian and Guangdong, and immediately began manufacturing and repairing weapons, as well as constructing factory buildings. In 1873, the factory was completed in the southern part of Lanzhou City, and production commenced... Detailed information about Lai Chang++

Zhanggang Village: The village has a total population of 8,313, with 1,170 households, covering an area of 1,320 mu, including 5,000 mu of mountainous land. The village has a Party General Branch with 110 Party members, a 6-member General Branch Committee, and 3 sub-branches and 3 economic cooperatives. Located in the northeastern corner of Qilin Town, Zhanggang Village suffers from poor transportation conditions—its roads are cement-paved but underdeveloped, resulting in sluggish economic growth due to its remote location. The village economy mainly relies on agriculture, forestry, and breeding, yielding limited income, with villagers primarily engaged in farming, fruit cultivation, and small household businesses. Some young and middle-aged residents work outside the village, bringing the per capita income to approximately 1... Detailed information about Zhanggang Village++

Further Reading:

· Ninth Batch of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units