Tomb of Zhao Chongguo

Tomb of Zhao Chongguo

The Tomb of Zhao Chongguo is a cultural relic protection unit of Gansu Province.

The Tomb of Zhao Chongguo is located 500 meters west of Liya Village, north of Qingshui County. The tomb faces south, with a circular earthen mound that is 3.8 meters high and has a base diameter of 10 meters. In front of the tomb stand two stele pavilions, housing stone tablets erected in the 13th year of the Jiaqing era of the Qing Dynasty (1808), inscribed with “Tomb of Zhao Chongguo, Posthumously Honored as Duke Ying of Yingping, Late General of the Han,” and in the Jiyou year of the Daoguang era (1849), inscribed with “Tomb of Zhao, Duke of Yingping of the Han.” Both tablets have round tops and square bases, are made of gritstone, feature arched tops and columnar bodies, with overall heights of 1.5 meters, widths of 0.65 meters, and thicknesses of 0.20 and 0.18 meters respectively. The inscriptions are carved in intaglio regular script, documenting Zhao Chongguo’s achievements and life story. The tomb is well-preserved and holds significant value for the study of Western Han history. Zhao Chongguo (137–52 BC), a famous general of the Western Han Dynasty, also known as Wengsun, was a native of Shanggui in Longxi (present-day Qingshui County, Gansu). He served as a Central Guard Commander and Senior Staff Officer to the General of Chariots and Cavalry during Emperor Wu’s reign, was appointed as the Commandant of Waterways and Capital Districts and later as a General after Emperor Zhao’s accession, and was granted the title Duke of Yingping during Emperor Xuan’s reign. He made remarkable contributions to the prosperity of the Western Han Dynasty and the safeguarding of the Silk Road.

Further Reading:

· First to Third Batches of Provincial-Level Cultural Relic Protection Units in Gansu Province