Qixi River Cliff Tomb Cluster

Qixi River Cliff Tomb Cluster

The Qixi River Cliff Tomb Cluster is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Qixi River Cliff Tomb Cluster is located in Qixi Town, about 45 kilometers south of Santai County. In the pre-Qin period, Qixi Town was the site of the capital of the Guo Kingdom. In the sixth year of Emperor Gaozu of the Western Han Dynasty (201 BC), the Qixi County was established here. The ancient royal city was bordered by the Jinshui River to the left and the Quxi River to the right, with Drum Tower Mountain to the east and Tiantai Mountain to the west.

Today, scattered across the river bends and mountainous areas centered around the town, there are thousands of cliff tombs. In some places, they are densely clustered like beehives. Among them, the tomb clusters at Jinzhong Mountain, Quanshui Dam, and Zijin Bay are the most concentrated and distinctive. The cliff tombs vary in age, but most date back to the Eastern Han Dynasty. They also differ in size. In terms of structure, multi-chamber tombs are usually aligned along a central axis and can generally be divided into a tomb passage, tomb door, front chamber, middle chamber, rear chamber, side chambers, and wing chambers. Within the tombs, steps, drainage channels, niches, stoves, cabinets, coffin platforms, beds, and other features were carved directly into the rocky cliffs. Many tombs feature round carvings, reliefs, and line engravings as architectural decorative motifs, as well as pictorial carvings. Some tombs even contain red pigment paintings. Pictorial carvings are mostly found on the walls of the front and middle chambers and on the door walls. The relief imagery includes: muscular figures seemingly supporting rocks with effort, dancers mid-air, people resting their chins in their hands, individuals peeking through doors, storytellers with clappers, rice pestlers, human-face masks, dogs chasing rats, monkeys eating peaches, white tigers, vermilion birds, black turtles, sheep heads, running deer, galloping horses, standing goats, climbing turtles, fat pigs, melons, and fruits. The incised line carvings depict scenes such as watchtowers, flying cranes, ducks, flowers, plants, weapons (halberds, spears, axes, shields), and stands. Red was considered a color of nobility and good fortune in the Han Dynasty, so many tomb interiors were painted or decorated with vermillion and earth red hues—some bed platforms and stone coffins also bear this decoration. These carvings and colored illustrations depict daily life and folk sentiments meant to ward off evil and invite luck, reflecting social life during the Han Dynasty.

Although the Qixi River Cliff Tombs have been looted many times throughout history, some burial objects have survived. Among the pottery items, a significant number of tomb bricks have been unearthed. These bricks vary in size and include both plain bricks and decorative bricks featuring patterns, images, and inscriptions.

The Qixi River Cliff Tomb Cluster was designated as a Sichuan Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit in 1991. Qixi Town was designated as a Sichuan Provincial Historical and Cultural Town in 1992.

Protected Area: To the east, it extends to the boundary between Kuaile Village of Chaofeng Village Office in Jianzhong Township and Xifeng Village Office; to the south, it is bounded by the center line of the Qixi River; to the west, it reaches the boundary between Zhai Bai Village of Shiting Office and Dongyu Village of Anju Town; to the north, it connects with Group 2, Group 5 of Yuntai Village and Group 1, Group 3 of Miaozigou Village in Anju Town.

Construction Control Zone: To the east, it reaches the foot of Doushan Mountain in Yujian Village, Qixi Town; to the south, it is bounded by the center line of the Qixi River; to the west, it reaches Zhai Bai Village of Shiting Office and Dongyu Village of Anju Town; to the north, it extends to Group 2, Group 5 of Yuntai Village and Group 1, Group 3 of Miaozigou Village in Anju Town.

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units