Tomb of Yang Can

Tomb of Yang Can

The Tomb of Yang Can is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Tomb of Yang Can is located at Huangfen Zuizui (Imperial Tomb Mound) in Yong’an, Shenxi Town, Honghuagang District, Zunyi City, Guizhou Province, about 10 kilometers from the city center. It was built during the Chunyou era (1241–1252) of Emperor Lizong of the Southern Song Dynasty. The tomb features a flat-roofed, double-chamber structure constructed from white sandstone slabs. The largest stone slab weighs over 12,000 jin (approximately 6 metric tons), secured using an interlocking mortise-and-tenon technique. Covering an area of 60 square meters, it ranks first among excavated tombs of its kind in Southwest China.

The tomb has a north-south parallel layout with two chambers, serving as a joint burial site for a couple. The southern chamber holds Yang Can, while the northern chamber is for his wife. Both chambers share a similar structure, consisting of a tomb entrance, front chamber, and rear chamber, connected by a passageway. Each corner is supported by a round-carved dragon pillar, flanked by intertwined dragon bodies and tails. At the center of each rear chamber’s ceiling is a square caisson, inscribed with the characters “Qingdong” (Male Chamber) and “Deyu” (Female Chamber) in double-hook calligraphy. The tomb entrances of both chambers are similar in height, placement, and decoration, featuring imitation wooden single-leaf doors that can be opened, closed, and locked.

The most distinctive feature of the Tomb of Yang Can is the richly detailed and exquisitely crafted stone carvings found inside and outside the tomb. These can be broadly categorized into five types: figures, animals, flowers and plants, and utensils. The carving techniques mainly include high and low relief, occasionally combined with incised lines. Some fine details were originally painted and gilded, though much of this has eroded over time, traces of the original grandeur can still be faintly seen. At the center of the rear wall of the southern chamber is a statue of Yang Can, the tomb owner, depicted wearing a long-footed official hat and formal court attire, seated upright with a solemn expression. On either side stand opposing dragon pillars, with a dragon-shaped coffin platform (bed) in front. The side walls are symmetrically adorned with reliefs of civil officials, military officers, maids, and children, all vividly rendered in diverse poses. Other reliefs such as “A Wild Deer Holding a Lingzhi Mushroom,” “A Phoenix Piercing Through Grapes,” “Two Lions Playing with a Ball,” and “A Maid Opening the Door” are ingeniously designed, finely carved, and full of life. The six niches in the two chambers imitate wooden architectural structures, with doors, windows, beams, and brackets reflecting contemporary construction styles, providing valuable physical material for the study of ancient architecture.

Address: Near Zhaojiaba, Yong’an Township, Honghuagang District, Zunyi, Guizhou

Opening Hours

Open upon request

The tomb chamber doors are usually closed. You can ask a local farming household in front of the tomb site to open them for you.

Transportation

1. Take a bus heading to Tuanxi from Nanmen Guan (Zhoushui Bridge), get off at Huangfen, then walk 15 minutes up the mountain path to reach the site.

2. There are many private motorcycles for hire near Zhoushui Bridge Station. A round trip to the Tomb of Yang Can costs 10 yuan.

Admission Fee

Free. Just register upon entry.

Yang Can, courtesy name Wenqing, also known as Boqiang, was the thirteenth-generation descendant of Yang Duan, the founding ancestor of the Yang clan who took control of Bozhou (modern-day Zunyi) in 876 AD during the Tang Dynasty’s Qianfu era. Son of Yang Shi, he was adopted by his uncle Yang Zhen in childhood. Known for his love of learning and deep faith in Confucian classics, he harbored great ambitions from a young age. In the early years of the Jiatai era (1201 AD) of Emperor Ningzong of the Song Dynasty, he inherited the position of Pacification Commissioner of Bozhou, governing the region for over 30 years and emerging as a highly accomplished figure in Bozhou’s history.

In 1206 AD, during the second year of the Kaixi era of the Song Dynasty, when the Jin army invaded the south, captured Tongguan, and occupied Shaanxi, Sichuan Pacification Commissioner Wu Xi... [More detailed information about Yang Can]

Shenxi Town: Located in the southeastern suburbs of Honghuagang District, Zunyi City, Guizhou Province, the town government is situated 13 kilometers from the city center. As the southeastern gateway of Honghuagang District, it borders Xiazhi Town, Laba Town, and Longping Town of Zunyi County to the east, west, and south respectively, and faces Xinpu Town of Honghuagang District across the Xiang River to the north. The town covers an area of 101.5 square kilometers, administers 8 administrative villages, 1 residential committee, and 107 village (residential) groups, with a current population of 33,909, including 31,504 agricultural residents. The town has 27,305 mu of arable land, including 17,695 mu of paddy fields and 9,910 mu of dry land. [...More detailed information about Shenxi Town]

Further Reading:

· First Batch of Guizhou Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Second Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units