The Mausoleums of the Southern Han Dynasty

The Mausoleums of the Southern Han Dynasty

The Mausoleums of the Southern Han Dynasty are a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Mausoleums of the Southern Han Dynasty are located in Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province.

The Mausoleums of the Southern Han Dynasty include the De Tomb of Liu Yin, the Martial Emperor of the Southern Han, and the Kang Tomb of Liu Yan, the Founding Emperor of the Southern Han. The Southern Han was one of the Ten Kingdoms during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period and was once known as the Great Yue Kingdom. In the late Tang Dynasty, scholars from Lingnan gathered here—some to escape war, some descendants of exiled high-ranking officials, and others local governors stranded northward due to conflict. Liu Yin recruited these three types of scholars to assist him. He sent his brother Liu Yan (889–942) to lead troops in pacifying various separatist forces in eastern and western Lingnan, thereby gaining control over the region. To the west, he vied with the Chu Kingdom for control of Rong and Gui territories, capturing Rong and Yong prefectures (now parts of western and southern Guangxi and parts of Guangdong). In the first year of the Qiánhuà era (911), Liu Yin passed away. His brother Liu Yan succeeded him, later changing his name to Zhì, Gōng, and then □. He established his capital at Panyu in Guangzhou (modern-day Guangzhou), known as the Xīngwáng Fu (Prosperous King’s Prefecture). At its height, the kingdom spanned sixty prefectures, roughly covering present-day Guangdong, Guangxi, and parts of Yunnan. It lasted through five rulers for a total of 67 years. In the third year of the Zhēnmíng era of the Later Liang (917), Liu Yan declared himself emperor in Panyu, establishing the country as the Great Yue, which was renamed Han the following year, historically referred to as the Southern Han. Liu Yan used the reign titles Qiánhēng, Báilóng, and Dàyǒu. In the fifteenth year of Dàyǒu (942), Liu Yan died at the age of 54. His son Liu Bin (original name Hóngdù, 920–943) succeeded him, adopting the reign title Guāngtiān. The next year, Liu Bin’s brother Liu Sheng (original name Hóngxī, 920–958) killed Liu Bin and took the throne, using the reign titles Yìnggān and Qiánhé. In the sixth year of Qiánhé (948), Liu Sheng took advantage of internal strife in the Chu Kingdom and sent troops to attack, eventually capturing more than ten of its prefectures by the ninth year. In the sixteenth year (958), Liu Sheng died at the age of 39. His son Liu □ (original name Jìxīng, 942–980) succeeded him, adopting the reign title Dàbǎo.

In February 2003, the Guangdong Provincial Party Committee, the Guangdong Provincial Government, the Guangzhou Municipal Party Committee, and the Guangzhou Municipal Government decided to build a new university campus area for universities in the Guangzhou region (Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center), selecting Xiaoguwei Island in Xinzao Town, Panyu District, Guangzhou City, as the site. In March, the Guangzhou Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology conducted a comprehensive survey of cultural relics on the island. From June 2003 to October 2004, archaeological investigation and rescue excavations were carried out at locations where relics were discovered within the construction area. Two large brick-chambered tombs from the Southern Han period were found—on Qīnggǎng and Dàxiāngshān hills in Běitíng Village on the western side of Xiaoguwei Island. Through excavation and research, they were identified as the De Tomb and the Kang Tomb of the Southern Han.

The De Tomb is the burial site of Liu Yin, the Martial Emperor and founding figure of the Southern Han. It is located on the northern slope of Qīnggǎng and the southern slope of Dàxiāngshān in Běitíng Village, Xinzao Town, Panyu District, Guangzhou City, 800 meters south of the Kang Tomb on Dàxiāngshān. In 2003, the tomb was cleared. It faces north and is a rectangular multi-crypt brick-chambered tomb with a corridor, measuring 26.47 meters in length and 5.82 meters in width, with an existing area of about 154 square meters. A total of 272 pieces of celadon jars and glazed pottery jars were unearthed.

The Kang Tomb is the burial site of Liu Yan, the Founding Emperor of the Southern Han. It is situated on the southern slope of Dàxiāngshān in Běitíng Village, 800 meters north of the De Tomb on Qīnggǎng. The tomb follows the terrain of the southern slope of Dàxiāngshān, extending from north to south. Above ground, there is a rectangular mausoleum complex enclosed by walls, with corner watchtowers at each of the four corners. The tomb platform is located slightly north of the center of the mausoleum complex, on the second-level terrace of the southern slope of Dàxiāngshān. It features a square base with a circular mound structure, built with bricks around an earthen core. The underground palace lies directly beneath the tomb platform and is a rectangular multi-crypt brick-chambered tomb with a corridor. Inside the tomb, a stone funerary inscription tablet is placed horizontally across the entrance to the front chamber. It is well preserved and clearly records the identity of the tomb occupant and the date. Celadon jars and glazed pottery jars were also unearthed.

The Kang Tomb is located at the southern foot of Dàxiāngshān and consists of above-ground structures and an underground burial chamber. The burial chamber is situated on the first terrace at the southern end of the hillside and is a vertical-shaft brick-chambered tomb with a corridor. Above the tomb shaft is a circular mound structure made of brick and earth. On the second terrace of the hillside, square platforms are built to the northeast and northwest of the circular mound. These three elements form an inverted trident shape, spaced about 50 meters apart. The mound body is a square base with a circular mound, composed of layers including a circular platform, a square platform, and a water-spreading surface.

Experts note that the Kang Tomb is unique: it is a built-up earthen mound with a brick-walled circular mound, the first such discovery in China’s imperial tomb system. The Kang Tomb is an exceptionally well-preserved tomb from the Five Dynasties period, featuring grand above-ground architecture that is still under ongoing excavation. Beneath the circular mound lies the burial chamber, with the corridor entrance located under the ramp of the mound. The tomb chamber measures 11 meters in length, 3.15 meters in width, and 3.3 meters in height. At the entrance to the front chamber stands a stone funerary inscription tablet. The tablet is well preserved and resembles a stele. Its heading reads “Funerary Inscription for Emperor Gāozǔ, the Heavenly Emperor,” containing 38 lines with 35 characters per line, totaling 1,062 characters. The inscription clearly states that Emperor Gāozǔ (Liu Yan) passed away in April of the fifteenth year of Dàyǒu (942) and that his spirit was relocated to the Kang Tomb in September of the first year of Guāngtiān. This serves as the best evidence confirming the identity of the tomb’s occupant.

Although no mausoleum structures were found around the De Tomb and it had been looted, the celadon jars and glazed pottery jars unearthed from the corridor represent the first discovery of such a large quantity of Five Dynasties ceramics in Guangzhou, undoubtedly from official kilns. Their hard bodies and bluish-green glaze tinged with grey, along with their crystal-clear transparency, mark them as top-tier examples of Five Dynasties celadon. They provide tangible material for studying ceramics of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms. The discovery of the Kang Tomb’s funerary inscription not only clarifies the identity of the tomb owner and the burial date but also corrects erroneous accounts in historical texts such as the Fānyú County Annals regarding the De and Kang Tombs, resolving long-standing historical mysteries. The Kang Tomb is the only tomb complex from this period discovered so far with a complete layout. Its unique features—including double corner watchtowers at the four corners of the enclosing wall and a corridor-style building in front of the tomb—differ from those of other imperial tomb systems throughout history and will offer new materials for studying the development of ancient Chinese imperial tomb architecture.

The Mausoleums of the Southern Han Dynasty are a major archaeological discovery from the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period and hold significant importance for studying the history and society of the Southern Han Kingdom. In 2006, the mausoleums were included in the sixth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units by the State Council as ancient tombs from the Five Dynasties.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units