Tomb of Han Xin

Tomb of Han Xin

The Tomb of Han Xin is a cultural tourism attraction.

The Tomb of Han Xin is a cultural tourism attraction. It is situated on Gaobi Ridge, 10 kilometers south of Lingshi County, at an altitude of 1,200 meters. The area features steep mountains, precipitous cliffs, and deep valleys. To the north lies Mianshan Mountain, to the south Huo Mountain, to the east it faces Lingkong Mountain, and to the west it overlooks Qinwang Ridge. It was part of the ancient official road during the Qin and Han dynasties, boasting a highly strategic location that controlled the north-south transportation route and has long been a contested military stronghold. It is known as the “Gateway between Sichuan and Shaanxi.”

Han Xin, one of the “Three Heroes of the Early Han Dynasty,” was a native of Huaiyin in the Han Dynasty (present-day southwest of Qingjiang, Jiangsu Province). He was a feudal prince of the early Han era and was appointed as Grand General by Liu Bang during the Chu-Han Contention. Renowned for his wisdom and strategy, he assisted Liu Bang in defeating Xiang Yu. After Xiang Yu’s defeat and suicide at the Wu River, Liu Bang established his imperial rule. Liu Bang initially enfeoffed Han Xin as the King of Qi, and after the founding of the Han Dynasty, he was made King of Chu. Later, accused of rebellion, he was demoted to the Marquis of Huaiyin. In 196 BCE, when Chen Xi in the north rebelled and allied with the Xiongnu to invade the Central Plains, Liu Bang personally led troops to suppress the revolt. Empress Lü orchestrated Han Xin’s assassination in the Weiyang Palace. She sent someone to carry Han Xin’s severed head to present to Emperor Gaozu in Dai County, Shanxi. On the way, they encountered the returning triumphant emperor at Gaobi Ridge in southern Lingshi. The emperor then ordered Han Xin to be buried on the ridge. Each soldier scooped up a handful of earth, and thus the tomb was formed. The existing tomb mound is approximately 30 meters in diameter and 10 meters high. Originally, there was a brick enclosure around the tomb, with a passage over one meter wide inside. In front of the tomb, there remains a bluestone stele inscribed with “Tomb of Marquis of Huaiyin of Han.” A temple dedicated to Han Xin was built in front of the tomb. The temple faces south and was first constructed during the Jin dynasty’s Mingchang era. It was restored three times during the Yuan Dynasty and expanded again in the 29th year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1764). The surviving structures include the original three-arch brick-vaulted cruciform hall (the main hall). Other buildings were destroyed in wars. Many literati and poets throughout history have left poetic inscriptions here. The Ming Dynasty censor Yu Qian once wrote: “Stepping into peril began with Zhang Liang; the general failed to avoid the sharp edge. Success should have led him to the true sovereign; why beg for a false kingship over the land? Emperor Han’s vision should have been broad; Kuai Tong’s schemes were hardly loyal. A desolate grave buries bones by the mountain path — stopping my horse, I sigh with sorrow!”

Han Xin was a renowned statesman and a founding hero of the Han Dynasty, enjoying great fame and possessing exceptional cultural significance. In 1994, the People’s Government of Lingshi County designated it as a county-level key cultural relics protection unit.

Han Xin (circa 231 BCE – 196 BCE), of Han ethnicity, was a native of Huaiyin (formerly Huaiyin County, Jiangsu Province, now Huaiyin District). He was a founding hero of the Western Han Dynasty, an outstanding military strategist in Chinese history, and was ranked among the “Three Heroes of the Early Han Dynasty” alongside Xiao He and Zhang Liang. He was also celebrated as one of the “Three Great Generals of the Early Han Dynasty” along with Peng Yue and Ying Bu.

In his early years, he came from a poor family and often relied on others for food. At the end of the Qin Dynasty, he joined the anti-Qin resistance and initially aligned himself with Xiang Yu but was not given significant responsibilities. Later, recommended by Xiahou Ying, he was appointed as a grain administration officer. Still overlooked, Xiao He recommended Han Xin to Liu Bang, who then appointed him as Grand General. Han Xin analyzed the situations of both the Chu and Han sides for Liu Bang... More detailed information about Han Xin ++