The Hui'nan Tombs Cluster

Hui'nan Tombs Cluster

The Hui'nan Tombs Cluster is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Period: Han to Six Dynasties

Type: Ancient Tombs

Region: Fengdu County, Chongqing

Batch: 7th Batch

The Hui'nan Tombs Cluster is now located at Shangye Yilu, Jumin Yilu, Binjiang Zhonglu Neighborhood Committee, Sanhe Town, Fengdu County, Chongqing. It dates back to the Han to Six Dynasties period. First discovered during the second national survey in 1987, it was originally situated in Xinwan Village, Hui'nan Township, covering an area of about 10,000 square meters. In 1992, the Sichuan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology’s Three Gorges Archaeological Team conducted another survey, referring collectively to 23 mountain ridges from Xiakanxi on the west bank of the Yangtze River in the east to Longhe Bridge as the Hui'nan Tombs Cluster. The elevations range between 165 and 246 meters. Through exploration, it was confirmed that there are over 1,000 ancient tombs from the Han to the Six Dynasties, covering an area of approximately 3.3 million square meters. Between 1993 and 2005, to support the immigration and relocation construction of Fengdu New County in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area, archaeological excavation was carried out successively by institutions such as the Sichuan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology and the Chongqing Municipal Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology. A large number of artifacts were unearthed, including pottery, porcelain, bronze, iron, silver, jade, and glassware. The types of objects include jars, bowls, basins, plates, cups, spoons, ladles, pots, steamers, cauldrons, houses, ponds, wells, tables, and figurines. Among them, the Han Dynasty white-glazed porcelain bowl is a typical representative of early Chinese porcelain; the Han Dynasty pottery saddle horse helped resolve the debate over whether horses had saddles during the Han Dynasty; rare artifacts nationwide include Hu people warrior figurines, breastfeeding figurines, and Han Dynasty dancing and musical figurines. The Hui'nan Tombs Cluster has a vast distribution area, numerous high-quality relics, and spans a long time period. The excavation of a large number of ancient tombs and the unearthing of a wealth of artifacts have provided valuable physical materials for studying the politics, economy, military affairs, culture, and related funeral systems of the Three Gorges region of the Yangtze River. At the same time, they offer important benchmarks for the periodization and cultural sequencing of tombs from this era, possessing high historical, artistic, and scientific value. On June 18, 1986, the Hui'nan Tombs Cluster was designated as part of the first batch of county-level cultural relics protection units by the Fengdu County People’s Government. On September 7, 2000, it was announced as part of the first batch of municipal-level cultural relics protection units by the Chongqing Municipal People’s Government.

Further Reading:

· 7th Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units