The Dong Family Brick-Carved Tombs

The Dong Family Brick-Carved Tombs

The Dong Family Brick-Carved Tombs are a cultural tourism attraction.

Discovered at a construction site in the northwest suburbs of Houma City, Shanxi Province, the tombs were relocated in 1959 and 1969 to the courtyard of the Houma Workstation of the Shanxi Archaeological Research Institute. The tomb owners were Dong Hai and Dong Ming, buried in 1196 (the seventh year of the Mingchang era of the Jin Dynasty) and 1210 (the second year of the Da’an era), respectively. Both are brick-carved tombs designed to imitate wooden structures, and are square in plan. Dong Hai’s tomb consists of two chambers, front and back, reflecting the traditional quadrangle courtyard layout of northern China. With its complex structure, balanced proportions, precisely interlocked bricks, and meticulous craftsmanship, the interior walls are adorned with carvings of birds and flowers, the Eight Immortals, theatrical scenes, as well as animals such as flying horses, galloping deer, and running lions—offering a dazzling, luxurious display that holds high artistic value in both architecture and sculpture. The northern wall of Dong Ming’s tomb features a small stage along with five painted clay figurines representing the roles of sheng (male lead), mo (elder male), jing (painted face), dan (female), and chou (clown), vividly capturing lifelike expressions and movements. This serves as a representation of early Chinese theatrical performance art and provides valuable material for the study of Song and Jin dynasty drama.