Shitouzhai Cliff Tomb

Shitouzhai Cliff Tomb

Shitouzhai Cliff Tomb

Cliff tomb burial is one of the ancient funeral customs of the Miao people. It holds significant importance for studying the Miao’s residential history, production development, and cultural customs. To date, nine Miao cliff tombs have been discovered in Huishui County, namely: the Coffin Cave at Shitouzhai, Baijin; the Coffin Cave at Gaizhai, Baijin; the Coffin Cave at Jiazhao, Gangdu; the Coffin Cave at Dangqiao, Gangdu; the Coffin Cave at Bampang; the Coffin Cave at Doudi Wengdai; the Coffin Cave at Daba Dabao; the Coffin Cave at Dongzhao Gangjin; and the Coffin Cave at Dasui Dongshang.

However, the cave with the most well-preserved coffins and the easiest access for visitors is the Coffin Cave at Shitouzhai, Baijin. This cave is located beneath the Natural Immortal Bridge at Wuhu Chong in Shitouzhai, Wumahu Chong, beside National Highway 320, about 320 meters northeast of the Baijin Town government office. It is an east-west through-cave. At the bottom of the cave flows a small river called the Shitou River, which runs continuously year-round. About 0.5 kilometers from the cave entrance lies the Zhao Miao village, with the small river meandering at the foot of the settlement. The coffins inside the cave belong to the ancestral burial ground of the Zhao Miao family. In May 1984, 58-year-old Miao man Zhao Xingliang explained to experts: “This coffin cave is the ancestral tomb of the Zhao family. This method of burial has been used since the Tang Dynasty. Originally, the coffins were placed in another cave to the east of this one, but a fire destroyed all the coffins there, so they were later moved to this current cave. Every Spring Festival, during the exorcism ceremony, it takes over two hours to chant for the more than 1,000 ancestors in the cave.” (Xi Keding, "A Place for the Soul to Rest – The Burial Culture of Ethnic Groups in Guizhou") The book *Ethnic Minorities in Guizhou: The Miao* states: “The Miao people who migrated to southern Guizhou began their cliff tomb burials roughly around the Jin Dynasty, as evidenced by recent archaeological findings in the region.” It also says: “In southern Guizhou—Huishui, Changshun, and all the way to the Guizhou-Guangxi border—many Miao cliff tombs have been discovered in recent years. Of these, apart from some dating back to the Wei, Jin, Northern and Southern Dynasties, the majority are relics from the Tang, Song, and Ming Dynasties.”

The Shitouzhai Coffin Cave is about 50 meters high, 20 meters wide, and 120 meters deep. On the upper southern wall of the cave, there are two naturally formed terraces. The first terrace is about 30 meters above the river surface, approximately 3 meters wide, 15 meters high, and 20 meters long. The second terrace is about 3 meters above the first, around 5 meters wide, 12 meters high, and 80 meters long. The coffins are neatly stacked on these two terraces.

There are about 400 coffins currently preserved in the cave, arranged in an orderly manner on a “well”-shaped wooden frame—from the innermost and lowest to the outermost and highest. The coffins are stacked in layers, ranging from just one or two layers to as many as eight or nine. This is a rare sight both nationally and within the province, and can be considered a marvel of cliff tomb burials. Experts and scholars frequently visit for research and investigation, publishing numerous important papers and findings based on their studies.

The coffins are all rectangular in shape, mostly made from two-inch-thick fir planks. Their simple structure and rough craftsmanship indicate that the Miao people’s production tools were quite primitive at the time. The largest coffins measure 2.25 meters in length, 0.6 meters in width, and 0.9 meters in height, while the smallest are 1.1 meters long, 0.5 meters wide, and 0.4 meters high. Due to the passage of time, some coffins in the middle section of the cave and at the eastern and western ends have decayed or collapsed, but this does not diminish the site’s spectacular and awe-inspiring appearance.

All the coffins are placed with the head (the larger end) facing east and the feet (the smaller end) facing west—likely symbolizing the Miao people’s belief in returning to their ancestral homeland in the east after death. Some coffin lids are painted with crude drawings of oxen, horses, pigs, dogs, and chickens using lime. Burial items include earrings, bracelets, suonas, lusheng (bamboo mouth organs), flutes, shawls, pottery, woodenware, and grains.

The coffins in the Shitouzhai Coffin Cave have remained so well-preserved over the centuries for roughly three reasons: first, the cave is a through-cave with strong air circulation, making it cool inside; second, a small river flows through the cave, helping to regulate the temperature and prevent extreme heat or cold; third, the steep and difficult access has discouraged people from entering and damaging the site.

Today, visitors to the Shitouzhai Coffin Cave can not only witness the spectacular sight of hundreds of coffins but also explore karst cave formations, underground rivers, and natural bridges. Moreover, they can appreciate the wisdom and courage of ancient people who, with very limited technology and tools, managed to transport so many coffins up cliffs twenty to thirty meters high.

As the Shitouzhai Coffin Cave uniquely combines coffins, caves, bridges, and rivers, it holds significant research and tourism value. Therefore, in June 1991, the Huishui County People’s Government designated it as a county-level key cultural relic protection unit. In November of the same year, an inscription was erected at the cave entrance to introduce the history and significance of the coffin cave.