Tomb Cluster of the King of the Ba State in Xiaotianxi, Chongqing

Tomb Cluster of the King of the Ba State in Xiaotianxi, Chongqing

The Tomb Cluster of the King of the Ba State in Xiaotianxi is a cultural tourism attraction.

Introduction: Located in Xiaotianxi, Chenjiazui Village, Baitao Town, Fuling, approximately 20 kilometers from the city center. This tomb cluster was discovered in 1972. In April of that year, local villagers unearthed important cultural relics such as bronze swords, bronze weights, chime bells, and animal head ornaments while digging soil to make bricks. In late October of the same year, museums from Sichuan Province and Chongqing Municipality, along with the former Fuling City cultural relics work team, excavated and cleared three of the ancient tombs. They unearthed 54 pieces of weaponry, 41 pieces of daily utensils, 8 pieces of production tools, 37 musical instruments, and 52 other cultural relics. The bronze items feature prominent designs such as tiger-shaped knobs, palm-print patterns, and floral motifs, all indicative of distinct Ba culture characteristics. Judging from inscriptions using the character for “king” and gold-inlaid bronze chime bells among the artifacts, these are believed to be the tombs of the Ba royal family, consistent with the records in the Huayang Guo Zhi (Chronicles of the States South of Mount Hua). One set of chime bells, consisting of 14 pieces, was once exhibited abroad. According to the Huayang Guo Zhi · Chronicles of Ba: “The royal tombs of the ancient Ba State were mostly located in Zhǐ,” with Zhǐ referring to present-day Fuling. The excavation of these three Warring States period Ba royal tombs in Xiaotianxi confirms the historical records. A total of 192 cultural relics were unearthed from the three tombs, providing invaluable material for the study of the history and culture of the Ba people.

Fuling District, Chongqing