Tomb of the Emperor Shaowu of Ming and His Ministers

Tomb of the Emperor Shaowu of Ming and His Ministers

The Tomb of the Emperor Shaowu of Ming and His Ministers is a cultural relic protection unit of Guangzhou.

Tomb of the Emperor Shaowu of Ming and His Ministers

The Tomb of the Emperor Shaowu of Ming and His Ministers was moved from near Liuhua Bridge to beneath Mushell Hill in 1955 due to the construction of a sports stadium. It is listed as a cultural relic protection site of Guangzhou. The tomb holds the remains of Emperor Shaowu of the Southern Ming, Zhu Yuyue, and fifteen of his ministers and followers. There is just a stone stele and a mound of earth.

In the late Ming period, Zhu Yuyue, the brother of Emperor Longwu, went to Guangzhou and established a court there at the end of 1646, adopting the reign title Shaowu. Later generations criticized the Shaowu regime for being high in rank but low in ability, caring only for material gain and engaging in internal strife. The Shaowu court lasted only 40 days before being destroyed by Qing forces.

The tomb of Wang Xing was originally located in Nanjicun, Henan, Guangzhou, but over time it became buried and forgotten. It was rediscovered in 1952 during infrastructure work. The tomb featured a wordless stele, and beneath the burial pit was a large blue jar. On top of the jar lay an intact epitaph detailing Wang Xing’s life. Inside the jar were the ashes of Wang Xing and his seventeen wives and concubines. The tomb was later relocated to beneath Mushell Hill in Yuexiu Park and designated a key municipal cultural relic protected site.

Wang Xing was a general who resisted the Qing army during their capture of Guangzhou in the Southern Ming period. Appointed by the Yongli Emperor, he served as the regional military commander for Guang, Zhao, Hui, Ning, and Yang prefectures, holding the official seal of the Tiger Vanguard General.

In 1963, the Guangzhou Municipal People's Committee declared it a cultural relic protection unit.

Further Reading:

· First Batch of Guangzhou Cultural Relic Protection Units

Yuexiu Park

Guangzhou Zhenhai Tower (Guangzhou Museum)

Five Rams Sculpture

Guangzhou Sun Yat-sen Memorial Monument

Ancient City Wall of Ming Dynasty Guangzhou

Wu Tingfang’s Tomb

Yuexiu Mountain Water Tower

Site of Sifang Battery

Archway of Ancient Chuci