Daofen Grand Tomb

Daofen Grand Tomb

The Daofen Grand Tomb is a cultural relic protection unit of Guangdong Province.

Commonly known as the "Tomb of Ten Thousand," the Daofen Grand Tomb is located north of Jinniufang Village in Dao fen Town, Dongguan City. On March 28, 1647, during the fourth year of the Shunzhi reign in the Qing Dynasty, Ming loyalist anti-Qing hero Zhang Jiayu, along with Ye Ruri, leader of the Dongguan militia in Dao fen, and others, led troops to resist the Qing army in Dao fen. Several thousand died in battle. Dozens of Zhang Jiayu’s relatives—including his grandmother, mother, wife, uncle, and sister—were also brutally killed by Qing forces. The local villagers buried all the remains together at this site, hence the name “Grand Tomb.” In the sixth year of the Daoguang reign (1826), Ye Anji, a successful candidate in the imperial examination from Dao fen, took the lead in raising over a thousand taels of silver to renovate the tomb. Granite stone slabs were installed, and he personally composed three inscribed stelae, including one titled “Grand Tomb.” In 1987, the Dao fen government allocated funds for maintenance and arranged for dedicated management. The tomb now covers an area of 450 square meters and remains well-preserved.

Zhang Jiayu (1615–1647), styled Xuanzi and also known as Zhiyuan, was a native of Cuntou Village, Wanjiang District, Dongguan City. He passed the imperial examination at the age of 29 and was appointed as a Shujishi (a junior compiler) in the Hanlin Academy. He served successively as an Imperial Censor of the Board of War and Minister of War. After his death, he was posthumously awarded the titles of Grand Secretary of the Dongge Hall, Minister of Personnel, and later additionally conferred the honors of Grand Guardian of the Heir Apparent, Grand Secretary of the Wuying Hall, and Marquis of Zengcheng. He is honored as one of the “Three Loyalists of Guangdong” who resisted the Qing.

In 1993, the Dongguan Municipal People’s Government designated it as a cultural relic protection unit. In 2012, the People’s Government of Guangdong Province listed it as a cultural relic protection unit of Guangdong Province.

Dao fen Town: Located in the western part of Dongguan City, Dao fen Town is 9 kilometers from Guancheng. The Guangzhou-Shenzhen Expressway crosses the town, featuring large interchange exits. It is 36 kilometers from Guangzhou and 93 kilometers from Shenzhen. The Dongjiang South Branch flows through the town, providing highly convenient water and land transportation.

The town covers an area of 54.41 square kilometers and governs 13 villages and one community. According to the 2000 national census, the resident population was 52,748, with an additional 53,324 migrant residents.

The town area lies in the downstream water network region of the Dongjiang South Branch, characterized by crisscrossing waterways and an extensive network of streams. The average annual temperature is 23… For more detailed information about Dao fen Town, ++

Further reading:

· Seventh Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Guangdong Province