Tomb of Ye Yuemei and Her Husband

Tomb of Ye Yuemei and Her Husband

The Tomb of Ye Yuemei and Her Husband is a provincial-level cultural heritage site in Guangdong Province.

The Tomb of Ye Yuemei and Her Husband is located in Dabei Natural Village, Zhengda Village, Luoxi Town, Luhe County, Shanwei City, Guangdong Province. Locally known as the "Horse Tomb" or "White Horse Tomb," it is a municipal-level cultural heritage site in Shanwei. Built in the ninth year of the Jiajing reign during the Ming Dynasty (1530), the tomb faces southwest and is situated to the northeast. Its structures are made of granite, with all stone materials transported from Fujian. It is a granite pavilion-style tomb. The pavilion features a double-eaved hip-and-gable roof, with four square pillars each standing 1.1 meters tall. The pavilion is 1.3 meters wide, and the central gravestone inside is 0.4 meters wide, 0.8 meters high, and 0.18 meters thick. The tomb body measures 16.1 meters in length and 13.6 meters in width, covering a constructed area of over 218.9 square meters. The gravestone bears an inscription in intaglio: “Tomb of the Late Illustrious Father Ye Yuemei and Mothers Fan, Luo, and Zheng.” In the lower right corner, another intaglio inscription reads: “Sacrificed to by filial descendants of all branches.” The inscription is surrounded by floral carvings. The left and right sides of the tomb are adorned with granite animal head carvings. The offering platform and tomb body feature auspicious designs such as a spotted deer and a phoenix facing the sun, all exquisitely crafted and uniquely styled, making this Ming Dynasty granite pavilion tomb unique within Luhe. Originally, a three-tiered stone memorial archway stood at the front of the tomb site, flanked by side gates. However, it was destroyed in the early years after liberation due to historical circumstances. Only the lintel stone of the main gate remains, inscribed in intaglio: “The Final Resting Place of Mr. Ye Yuemei.” The terrain of the tomb resembles a horse, and legend has it that white horses were often seen after the completion of the tomb and archway, hence the names “Horse Tomb” and “White Horse Tomb.”

Further Reading:

· Ninth Batch of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Heritage Sites