Gufenliang Burial Mounds

　　    The Gufenliang Burial Mounds are located about 500 meters northwest of the Laotai Township government in Jimusaer County. To their north is a rural road, to the east and west are farmlands, and to the south is a gully. The entire burial complex is situated on a relatively high loess ridge, covering an area of about 2 mu.

　　    Inside the temple courtyard, coffins are placed everywhere. When the coffin lids are opened, they are found to contain only human skulls. One coffin is particularly special — it is entirely coated with tung oil paint and carved with a design of two dragons playing with a pearl. It has an outer and an inner coffin, and the craftsmanship is exquisite.

　　    Inside the coffins lies a male corpse wearing a red tassel hat, official robes, and court boots, but there are no written records indicating his official rank. The entire loess ridge is scattered with coffins — coffins leaning against coffins, coffins stacked on coffins, some piled three or four layers high. Nearly all the coffins contain only human skulls, with no bodies. Some hold three or four skulls, while the most contain seven or eight.

　　    According to the recollection of local elder Xu Youren: during the campaign to "Smash the Four Olds," at least five thousand human skulls were unearthed from Gufenliang alone. Someone once saw a human skull with two gold teeth inlaid on the upper gum, said to be “two ghosts guarding the gate,” gleaming brightly.

　　    Legend has it that during the turmoil of the Tongzhi era, Huilai Fort was destroyed in the fighting. All those killed were buried on this earthen ridge, which is why the coffins contain only human heads.