Tomb of the Three Loyal Muslims

Tomb of the Three Loyal Muslims

The Tomb of the Three Loyal Muslims is a cultural tourism attraction.

The Tomb of the Three Loyal Muslims is located on the east side of the Ancient Tomb of Muslim Saints on Jiefang North Road in Guangzhou. It is a cenotaph dedicated to three Hui Muslim generals—Yu Fengqi, She Zhifu, and Ma Chengzu—who defended Guangzhou under the Southern Ming regime. The three tombs are arranged side by side, facing south, and are about 3 meters apart from each other. The above-ground structures follow the traditional Islamic style of stone sarcophagi, rendered with cement mortar. Each tomb is 1.98 meters long, 1.26 meters wide, and 1.31 meters high in total. The top of the tomb is a flat, cylindrical shape, beneath which lies a rectangular coffin chamber that expands outward in two tiers. The middle tomb has a red sandstone stele standing upright, measuring 1.24 meters in height and 0.45 meters in width, inscribed with four clerical script characters reading “回教三忠” (Tomb of the Three Loyal Muslims). The current tombs were reconstructed later. In 1955, they were restored with government funding. To the north of the tombs, there is also a pavilion called the Three Loyal Pavilion, featuring a double-eaved hip-and-gable roof covered with green-glazed tiles, approximately 2.85 meters in both width and depth, with simple decorations.

In the seventh year of the Shunzhi era (1650), Prince Shang Kexi and others led troops to attack Guangzhou. Yu Fengqi, the commander of the four guards defending Guangzhou under the Southern Ming regime, along with his soldiers, rose up to resist the enemy and held off the Qing army for nearly two months. Upon learning that Guangzhou was about to fall, Yu Fengqi hanged himself at Gongbei Tower at Shuangmen Di to sacrifice himself for his country. She Zhifu and Ma Chengzu died in battle against the Qing forces. Later, the people of Guangzhou built cenotaphs for them to honor their loyalty and bravery, referring to them as the “Tomb of the Three Loyal Muslims.”