Tomb of Weng Tonghe

Tomb of Weng Tonghe

The Tomb of Weng Tonghe is a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangsu Province.

The tombs of Weng Tonghe, his father Weng Xincun, and his elder brother Weng Tongshu are located on the slopes near Xiejia Bin under Bai Ge Peak of Yushan Mountain in Changshu.

Weng Tonghe was one of the supporters of the reformist movement in the late Qing Dynasty. His courtesy name was Shuping, and he was a native of Changshu. During the First Sino-Japanese War, he opposed Li Hongzhang’s peace efforts. In the 21st year of the Guangxu reign (1895), he served in the Zongli Yamen (Office for General Management of Affairs Concerning the Various Countries), supporting some of Kang Youwei’s reform proposals in an attempt to restore Emperor Guangxu’s direct rule. He was dismissed from office in the 24th year of Guangxu (1898) by Empress Dowager Cixi. After the failure of the Hundred Days' Reform, he was stripped of his official rank. Between 1858 and 1904, he wrote the "Diary of Weng Wengong," which documented major political events during the Tongzhi and Guangxu eras (40 volumes in total, published by the Commercial Press in 1925), as well as the "Poetry and Prose Manuscripts of Pinglu Studio," both of which are valuable resources for studying modern history.

His father Weng Xincun and elder brother Weng Tongshu were later buried together in the family cemetery in Changshu. This ancestral burial ground was originally built by Weng Xincun to inter his mother, Lady Zhang. Currently, there are three main tombs: the central one holds only Lady Zhang; the left tomb contains Weng Xincun, who served as the Grand Secretary of Ti Ren Ge, and his wife, Madam Xu; the right tomb houses Weng Tongshu and his wife, Madam Qian. The combined length of the three tombs is 8.1 meters, and their height is 1.6 meters. In front is a square sacrificial altar, and behind is an outer-square, inner-round enclosing wall known as the “luocheng.” The stacked golden hill stones on the luocheng have now disappeared, leaving only earthen ridges. On either side of the tomb are granite square stone pillars carved with lion heads. Behind the luocheng is a stele, 1.3 meters high and 0.7 meters wide, engraved with the official titles and name of Weng Tonghe.

Weng Tonghe’s tomb is located to the west of the main tomb, standing parallel to it with its own earthen luocheng. The tomb mound has a diameter of 4.3 meters and a height of 1.2 meters. This was originally a tomb he prepared for himself after being dismissed from office. The tomb stele was also personally inscribed by him, reading: “Tomb of Weng, a dismissed high-ranking official of the Qing Dynasty, and his wife, Lady Tang, who held the first-rank title.” It was not until the first year of the Xuantong reign (1909), when scholars and officials in the Wu region commemorated him and petitioned for his posthumous rehabilitation, that the current stele was erected. The present stele is 1.4 meters high and 0.56 meters wide. The upper part is engraved with a design of two dragons playing with a pearl, while the lower middle section reads: “Imperial Qing Dynasty, Posthumously Granted the Title of Guanglu Grand Master, Specifically Honored with the Posthumous Name Wengong, Collaborating Grand Secretary, Minister of Revenue, Great-Great-Grandfather Shuping. Posthumously Granted First-Rank Title, Great-Great-Grandmother Lady Tang. Posthumously Granted the Title of Shu Ren, Great-Great-Grandmother Lady Lu’s Tomb.” On the right is inscribed “oriented toward the direction of Yi Shan Xin, with a slight deviation toward Mao and You,” and on the left is written “erected by great-great-grandsons Weng Zhilian and Weng Zhixun.” The scale of the tomb is slightly smaller than that of his father’s.

Also buried in this Weng family cemetery is the tomb of Madam Yang, wife of Weng Tongjue, located to the east of the main tomb, as a single mound.

The Weng family burial ground is situated at a higher elevation, facing the mountain-front pond and Shanghu Lake, offering a spectacular view. In front of the tombs stand two ancient cypress trees, twisted yet elegant. There are also dozens of ancient pine trees in the area, planted in the early years of the Republic of China by Zhang Jian from Nantong when he came to pay respects.

Not far from the tomb, by the side of the mountain-front pond, lies the “Bottle Hermitage Studio,” also called “Bottle Studio,” built by Weng Tonghe after he returned home following his dismissal. It served as his residence in his later years. The house is simple and refined, with five main rooms to the southwest. The central room once housed a portrait of Weng Tonghe, which was destroyed in the war in 1937. Today, three west-side wing rooms remain. A small gate leads out to Shantang Street, outside of which stands a well with the inscription “Ke Yong Ji” (Can Be Used to Draw Water) on its rim. The "Poetry and Prose Manuscripts of Pinglu Studio" were written here. In 1984, the tomb of Weng Xincun was renovated, and between 1987 and 1988, partial restoration was carried out on the auxiliary structures.

Weng Tonghe (1830–1904), courtesy name Shuping, art name Songchan, also used other pseudonyms such as Junzhai, Pingsheng, Pinglu Jushi, Bingmei Jushi, Tianfang Xianren, and in his later years, Ping’an Jushi. A native of Changshu, Jiangsu, he was a renowned politician and calligraphic artist in modern Chinese history. He served as Minister of Revenue, Minister of Works, Grand Councilor, and Minister of the Zongli Yamen. He was successively the tutor of Emperors Tongzhi and Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty. After his death, he was posthumously honored with the title Wengong.

Weng Tonghe was skilled in poetry and occasional painting, but he was especially famous for his calligraphy. As a child, he studied the styles of Ouyang Xun and Chu Suiliang, initially learning from Dong Qichang and Mi Fu. In his middle age, he traced back to Yan Zhenqing through Qian Feng, though he did not confine himself to Yan’s style... More details about Weng Tonghe ++

Further Reading:

· First and Second Batches of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Jiangsu Province