Tomb of Di Qing

Tomb of Di Qing

The Tomb of Di Qing is a cultural relic protection unit of Shanxi Province.

Tomb of Di Qing

Tomb of Di Qing (Third Batch Provincial-Level Protected Site)

Era: Song Dynasty

Address: East of Liucun Village, ten li north of Fenyang City

Di Qing, courtesy name Hanchen (1008–1057 AD), was a native of Xihe in Fenzhou during the Song Dynasty. He achieved numerous military exploits in battles against the Western Xia, rising from soldier to general, and was appointed Chief Military Commissioner (枢密使) in the fifth year of Huangyou (1053). In the fourth year of Jiayou (1059), he was buried here. In the seventh year of Jiayou, he was posthumously honored as Duke Wuxiang of Di.

The tomb site faces south and originally covered an area of 79,920 square meters. It once housed ceremonial structures such as Xianqing Temple (from the Song Dynasty) and the Temple of Lord Di, all of which were destroyed between the late Qing Dynasty and the War of Resistance. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the mausoleum no longer existed. During the Cultural Revolution, the tomb mound was leveled, and the stone statues and figures were buried on-site. The imperial stele was moved to the county town during the Xuantong era of the Qing Dynasty and later relocated to Taifu Temple for preservation.

Today, one stele remains standing in the tomb area, inscribed with “Tomb of Duke Wuxiang of Di from the Song Dynasty.” It was erected in the first year of the Xuantong era of the Qing Dynasty, bears a seal script inscription personally composed by Emperor Renzong of Song, stands 4.6 meters tall, and features approximately 3,000 characters briefly recounting Di Qing’s life.

Di Qing was born in the first year of Daguan (1008) during the Northern Song Dynasty and died in the second year of Jiayou (1057). His courtesy name was Hanchen, and he was a native of Xihe in Fenzhou (present-day Fenyang, Shanxi). He was a prominent general of the Northern Song. Born into poverty, at the age of 16, Di Qing took the blame for a fight his brother was involved in with a local villager, resulting in him being “sentenced and registered as a criminal,” which marked the beginning of his military career. In the first year of Baoyuan (1038) during the reign of Emperor Renzong of Song, the Tangut leader Li Yuanhao declared himself emperor in the northwest and established the Western Xia. The Song court selected imperial guards to serve at the frontier, and Di Qing was chosen, appointed as a commander in Yanzhou, starting as a low-ranking officer. In battle, he was brave and… [More details about Di Qing++]

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Provincial-Level Cultural Relics Protection Units in Shanxi Province