Suspended Coffins of the Bo People in Gong County

Suspended Coffins of the Bo People in Gong County

The Suspended Coffins of the Bo People in Gong County are a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The "Suspended Coffins of the Bo People" are located within Yibin City, Sichuan Province, and are distributed across counties such as Gong County, Xingwen, and Junlian. Among the ancient southern ethnic groups of China, the Baiyue, Gan Yue, Liao people, and Bo people (also known as the Duzhang people) all practiced the suspended coffin burial custom. The most famous examples are the Bo people’s suspended coffins in southern Sichuan and the boat-shaped suspended coffins in Fujian. The *Gong County Annals* record that "Gong was originally Bo territory, where the Bo people often practiced suspended coffin burials." Over the centuries, ethnic minorities such as the Bo people have inhabited this area, resulting in numerous preserved suspended coffins. However, the largest and most concentrated sites are found in Matangba of Luobiao Township and Sumawan of Caoying Township in Gong County. Matangba in Gong County is long and narrow from north to south, with towering peaks on both the eastern and western sides. Between the steep and precipitous cliff caves, many coffins hang halfway off the mountainside, with over 160 suspended coffins still existing on the cliffs.

As early as 1956, it was designated as a Provincial Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit and is now a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit. The Suspended Coffins of the Bo People are known as a world wonder and a unique marvel of Bashu. The suspended coffin burial is a funerary custom of ancient ethnic minorities. Gong County and Xingwen border Yunnan and lie at the heart of the ancient southwestern Yi region. When Emperor Wu of Han conquered the Yelang Kingdom and established the Jianwei Commandery, this area belonged to Bo Dao County. About 10 kilometers from Matangba, in Suwanwan of Caoying Township, 48 suspended coffins are distributed along steep limestone cliffs. Most of these coffins hang between 26 to 50 meters above the ground, with the highest reaching up to 100 meters. The cliff walls where the coffins are placed feature many red-painted murals, rich in content, bold in line, simple in composition, and vivid in imagery.

The suspended coffins and cliff paintings hold significant historical and aesthetic value, and serve as physical materials for studying the historical development of ethnic minorities in southern Sichuan. They have become a focal point for global researchers of suspended coffin burials and also attract countless tourists. This scenic area is filled with an ancient and mysterious atmosphere.

1. Luobiao Town

Protected Area: All cliff faces with suspended coffins, coffin stakes, stake holes, and cliff paintings fall within the protected area.

Construction Control Zone: Extending 10 kilometers in depth and 2.5 kilometers in width, from "Coffin Shop" and "Hongyan" in Group 4 of Hongyan Village to "Bochanggou" and "Eagle Rock" in Groups 7 and 9 of Matang Village.

2. Caoying Township

Protected Area: West to "Liushuigou" in Haitang Village, east to "Hongyantou" in Fengming Rural Community, south to the ancient fortress group of the Bo people’s stone village in Tian Tang Village, Luodu Miao Ethnic Township, and north to areas within 300 meters of the northern extension of the rocky cliffs.

Construction Control Zone: West to "Liushuigou" and "Cai Shuitan" in Haitang Village, east to "Hongyantou" in Fengming Rural Community, south to Dengjia River, and north to areas within 300 meters of the northern extension of the various rocky cliffs.

Matang Village: Matang Village... Detailed information about Matang Village++

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units