Yuan Lin (Yuan Gong Lin)

　　Yuan Lin, also called Yuan Gong Lin, is the tomb of Yuan Shikai. The most distinctive feature of the tomb complex is its blend of Chinese and Western architectural styles. While the buildings mimic the style of imperial Ming and Qing mausoleums, Yuan’s grave mound is modeled after the riverside tomb of the 18th President of the United States, Ulysses S. Grant, resulting in an overall unique and unconventional design. The main structures include a screen wall, spirit way, memorial archway, stele pavilion, and offering hall courtyard.

　　At the southernmost end of Yuan Lin is a large screen wall, built in the traditional Chinese style with a flush gable roof and green glazed tiles. Its inner side is fully decorated with exquisite brick carvings, making it the largest and most ornate existing screen wall in China. The memorial archway in Yuan Lin is also unique—it is not constructed with traditional brick and wood, but with reinforced concrete and gravel, which is quite rare. On both sides of the archway stand white marble pillars and stone statues facing each other. To the north lies the stele pavilion, which has three bays. Inside the pavilion lies a massive dragon-carved turtle (bixi), supporting a nearly 6-meter-high stele engraved with several coiled dragons, symbolizing the exceptional status of the deceased. The front of the stele is inscribed with nine bold, upright characters reading “Tomb of the Great President Yuan Shikai.” Beyond the stele pavilion is the main gate. In front stands a grand hall, flanked by side halls, all designed in the Qing Dynasty architectural style. Further ahead is Yuan Shikai’s burial chamber. The three iron gates are all in Western architectural style, yet the tomb insignia on the gates are carved with images of fierce dragons and tigers. Yuan’s tomb is circular, entirely made of reinforced concrete. The surrounding stone lions are crafted in Western “realistic” style, rather than the traditional Chinese “symbolic” style. This peculiar tomb reflects Yuan Shikai’s rapidly changing identity on the historical stage.

　　Yuan Lin is the burial ground of Yuan Shikai, originally named Yuan Gong Lin, commonly referred to as Yuan Lin, and locally known as “Yuan’s Tomb.” Yuan’s Tomb is located on the north bank of the Huan River in Lin Fu Zhuang, about 2.5 kilometers from the old city center of Anyang. The construction of the tomb began in June 1916, shortly after Yuan’s death, and was completed in June 1918 under the supervision of Tian Wenlie, then governor of Henan Province. The entire tomb complex covers approximately 140 acres and cost over 700,000 taels of silver. In 1958, the Anyang Museum was established on the site of Yuan Lin. The overall design of Yuan Lin architecture is unique and holds a special place in the history of Chinese tomb construction. It features a fusion of Chinese and Western styles, reflecting the characteristics of a semi-colonial and semi-feudal era. The section before the offering hall courtyard follows the style of Ming and Qing imperial tombs, while the rear tomb section adopts the architectural style of Western cemeteries.

　　The southern end of the tomb area is situated on the north bank of the Huan River at Anyang Bridge, featuring a tall screen wall embedded with five tomb insignias. Behind the screen wall lies a brick and stone spirit way stretching over half a li, with a stone slab bridge along the path, and a jade belt-shaped stone arch bridge at the northern end of the spirit way. After descending the bridge to the north is the memorial archway gate. Unlike traditional wooden or stone pillars, its columns are made of cement. On both sides of the gate stand hexagonal pillars surrounded by white marble balustrades and carved stone lions, with four stone lions atop the corner pillars. The pillars are adorned with carvings of the sun, moon, stars, mountains, fire, dragons, tigers, long-tailed monkeys, and pheasants. There is also a “?” character on the pillars, symbolizing the passage of the deceased from the human world to heaven. Behind the pillars are symmetrically arranged stone statues, including horses, tigers, lions, military officials, and civil officials—all dressed in attire from the “Beiyang Era,” resembling “Western-style tomb guardians.” In the middle stands a stele pavilion containing a giant turtle (bixi), supporting an upright stele. The stele is inscribed with nine characters: “Tomb of the Great President Yuan Shikai,” handwritten by Yu Shichang, Yuan’s close friend and then President of the Republic of China. Passing through the stele pavilion and ascending the steps leads to a red-walled, green-tiled offering hall courtyard. At the center of the northern side is Jing Ren Tang (offering hall), with seven bays in width and three in depth, featuring a nine-ridged hip-and-gable roof covered with green glazed tiles. The hall columns are majestic, the beams are exquisitely painted, and the bracket sets are intricately interlocked, forming a tightly structured building. A terrace is located in front of the hall. Five-bay side rooms on the east and west sides were used for storing ritual utensils and for monks to chant scriptures. Today, Jing Ren Tang houses the “Yinxu Historical Exhibition,” while the side rooms feature the “Yuan Lin and Yuan Shikai Exhibition.” Behind the hall courtyard is the tomb, designed in the style of a Western cemetery. Three iron gates face forward, with two tomb insignias inlaid on the central doors, matching the designs on the pillars. Behind the iron gates is a set of stone altar tables and offerings carved from blue-white stone, surrounded by three-tiered platforms built with tiger-skin pattern stone walls, with the tomb’s main mound at the highest point.

　　Overall, Yuan Lin has a layout modeled after the imperial tombs of the Ming and Qing dynasties, with traditional architectural forms, yet the tomb itself features Western architectural elements, embodying the characteristics of a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society—making it quite unique.

　　Yuan Lin is the abbreviated name for “Yuan Gong Lin,” commonly known as Yuan’s Tomb, which is the tomb of Yuan Shikai. It is located in Taiping Village on the north bank of the Huan River in Anyang. Construction began in June 1916 after Yuan’s death and was completed in June 1918, taking two years. It underwent four additional expansions afterward. Covering an area of 138 mu, 9 fen, 8 li, 6 hao, and 9 si, the site is surrounded by lush pines and cypresses, offering a serene and elegant atmosphere. The overall layout of the tomb imitates the grandeur of Ming and Qing imperial tombs in the front section, while the rear section draws inspiration from the riverside tomb of former U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant, presenting an elegant and refined style that reflects the characteristics of semi-feudal and semi-colonial China. The total cost was 732,754 yuan, 1 jiao, 9 fen, and 1 li.

　　Yuan Lin is divided into two major sections. The southern end features a screen wall, followed by a tall stone memorial archway gate after passing a stone arch bridge. The gate has five bays with pillars topped by mythical beast carvings. On both sides of the stairway are arranged stone statues. In the center of the stairway is a stele pavilion housing a large dragon-headed stele, inscribed with the words “Tomb of the Great President Yuan Shikai,” handwritten by Xu Shichang. Passing through the main gate leads to the hall courtyard, where the front-facing Jing Ren Tang (offering hall) has seven bays in width and three in depth, with a nine-ridged hip-and-gable roof covered in green glazed tiles. The hall columns are imposing, the beams are finely painted, and the bracket sets intersect delicately, creating a tightly constructed structure. A terrace is located in front of the hall. Each of the east and west side rooms has five bays with flush gable roofs. This constitutes the first section.

　　Behind the offering hall are three parallel large iron gates. Beyond five stone offering tables stands the grand tomb chamber, elevated on three tiers of platforms. The tomb chamber is encircled by bluish-white stone and adorned with twelve stone lions, with the burial mound covered in grass. An iron chain surrounds the tomb chamber. Surrounded by pines and cypresses, the area is tranquil and elegant.

　　The two sections of Yuan Lin exhibit distinctly different architectural styles—the front section follows traditional Chinese tomb architecture, while the rear section carries a strong Western influence, reflecting the era’s semi-feudal and semi-colonial characteristics.

　　Yuan Lin now serves as the site of the Anyang Museum. In 1984, a large-scale restoration was carried out on the tomb chamber to restore it to its original appearance. In March 1987, it was listed as part of the second batch of key cultural heritage sites protected at the provincial level in Henan Province.

　　Address: Shengli Road, Beiguan District, Anyang City

　　Type: Historic Site / Cemetery

　　Recommended Visiting Time: About 2 hours

　　Opening Hours:

　　8:30–17:00

　　Yuan Shikai (1859~1916)　　Yuan Shikai (September 16, 1859 – June 6, 1916), courtesy name Weiting (also written as Weiting), pseudonym Rong’an, was a Han Chinese from Xiangcheng, Henan, and a prominent political figure in modern Chinese history. He was the leader of the Beiyang warlords, became the first President of the Republic of China after the Xinhai Revolution, and actively promoted industrial development, currency unification, and the establishment of modern judicial and educational systems during his tenure. However, later influenced by constitutionalists such as Yang Du, he attempted to restore the imperial system and proclaim himself emperor, but was eventually overthrown. On September 16, 1859, Yuan Shikai was born into a family of generations of officials in Yuanzhai, Wangmingkou Town, Xiangcheng City, Henan Province. His father and ancestors were mostly local dignitaries. The Yuan family... More+