Tomb of Jian Wenhui, Top Imperial Scholar of the Southern Han Dynasty

Tomb of Jian Wenhui, Top Imperial Scholar of the Southern Han Dynasty

The Tomb of Jian Wenhui, Top Imperial Scholar of the Southern Han Dynasty, is a cultural relic protection unit of Guangzhou City.

The Tomb of Jian Wenhui, Top Imperial Scholar of the Southern Han Dynasty, is located on the mountainside of Jinchai Ridge in Baishan Village, Taihe Town, on the northeastern side of Helong Reservoir. It faces south. It is a “chair-style” tomb, consisting of a grave mound, wing tombs, a front terrace, two rear earth mounds, and three levels of protective slopes. The front edge of the wing tombs is 10.1 meters wide, the front terrace is 7.3 meters wide, and the entire tomb extends 17.6 meters in depth. At the center of the grave face stands a bluestone stele from Lianzhou, 0.81 meters high and 0.48 meters wide. The stele bears an inscription in intaglio Song typeface: “Tomb of Jian Wenhui, Top Imperial Scholar of the Southern Han Dynasty, Crown Prince’s Grand Guardian, Minister of War, Right Prime Minister of the Cabinet, styled Wen Hui, also known as Kuigang, and his wife Chen Ying, styled Tai Fu Ren, the Honorable First-Rank Lady, jointly buried here.” The inscription at the bottom reads: “Rebuilt and the stone erected on a propitious day in March, the third year of the Daoguang era (i.e., 1823).” According to the epitaph, this tomb was renovated multiple times. Originally located in Yingde, it was relocated to its current site in March of the third year of the Daoguang era in the Qing Dynasty (lunar calendar). It underwent several renovations during the Guangxu era through the Republican period. In recent years, descendants of the Jian family further restored the tomb, replacing the exterior finish with washed granite plaster.

According to the *Dictionary of Historical Figures in Guangdong*, Jian Wenhui was a native of Liyong in Nanhai. As a youth, he was intelligent, diligent in his studies, and gifted in literature and poetry, gaining fame far and wide. In the second year of the Qiánhēng era (918) of the Southern Han Dynasty, he ranked first in the imperial examination and became the top imperial scholar. He eventually rose to the position of Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War. As an official, he was honest, upright, and accomplished, but because he remonstrated bluntly with Emperor Liu Sheng of the Southern Han Dynasty, he was demoted to serve as Prefect of Zhenzhou (now the eastern part of Yingde County) in northern Guangdong. Later, he died in office due to overwork.

The Ancestral Shrine of the Jian Family is located at No. 98 Panshu Road, within the campus of Guangzhou No. 27 Middle School (see *Guangzhou Cultural Relics Survey Compilation · Yuexiu District Volume*).

In August 1993, the Tomb of Jian Wenhui, Top Imperial Scholar (including the Jian Family Ancestral Shrine) was designated as a cultural relic protection unit of Guangzhou City.

Jian Wenhui (circa 900–958)

Jian Wenhui, styled Kuigang, was a native of Lishui Village in Nanhai during the Southern Han Dynasty (present-day Liyong Village, Lanshi Town, Shiwu District, Foshan City).

Orphaned at a young age, he was raised solely by his mother. His mother made a living by sewing clothes and could hardly afford to support her son’s education, so she taught him using only her limited literacy. Jian Wenhui was intelligent and eager to learn, often seeking guidance from those with literary talent. Unable to afford books, he borrowed them from others. He lived frugally, saving money to buy paper, pens, and ink, and studied diligently. Thanks to his hard work, he mastered the classics and excelled in poetry and prose, becoming well known in his hometown.

… More details about Jian Wenhui ++

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Guangzhou Cultural Relic Protection Units