Jiaoma Cliff Tombs

Jiaoma Cliff Tombs

The Jiaoma Cliff Tombs are a Guizhou Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Jiaoma Cliff Tombs

The cliff tombs are situated in Tianxing Cave in Ganda Village, Jiamaxiang Township, seventy kilometers south of the county town at coordinates 106°15′ east longitude, 25°42′30″ north latitude, and an altitude of 960 meters. The cave is about 2.5 meters high and 14 meters wide. The Ganda River flows through the cave toward the Duncao Hydropower Station. The gorges on both sides are steep and sheer, and the terrain of Tianxing Cave is treacherous, with no land route available—access is only possible by boat traveling upstream along the Ganda River. After entering the cave and proceeding about ten meters, one can climb up the left wall to see the coffins neatly arranged inside.

There are currently more than 120 coffins in the cave, placed on natural ledges within. Beneath the coffins lie two horizontal square timbers of varying lengths, sizes, and dimensions. The coffins are arranged in an orderly fashion, stacked in layers of varying heights, ranging from one to as many as four layers; each layer contains between ten and up to twenty coffins. The size and shape of the coffins also vary: the largest measure approximately 2.1 meters in length, 0.6 meters in width, and 0.5 meters in height, while the smallest are about 1.8 meters long, 0.55 meters wide, and 0.45 meters high. All coffins are made of Chinese fir. The panels are joined using tongue-and-groove joints, and both ends are secured with long planks in a crisscross pattern using mortise-and-tenon joints and wedges. From remnants found in some of the coffins, it can be seen that the deceased were dressed in batik fabric clothing, and some coffins also contained a small number of burial objects such as pottery jars, porcelain bowls, and gourds.

According to research, the Jiaoma Cliff Tombs are the burial site of the ancestors of the local Miao people. In the past, whenever someone died, elaborate funeral ceremonies were held. For those who died outside, horses were also sacrificed in ritual. The coffins of the deceased were transported by boat into the cave and placed in the order of their death.

On July 31, 1981, the Changshun County People's Government issued Document No. 13 (1981) of the Changzheng Office, designating it as a County-Level Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Further Reading:

· First Batch of Guizhou Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units