Ancient Town of Zouwu

　　Zouwu was an important town in Yixian County during the Ming and Qing dynasties, where the Ming Yixian County Patrol Inspectorate was stationed. With a long history, beautiful environment, fertile land, and abundant mineral resources. As early as prehistoric times, the eminent hermit Xu You was drawn here and stayed in Chenhao, northeast of Zouwu. To the east of Chenhao lies Xu You Spring, the very spot where Xu You drank water. The spring flows southwest through Zouwu and then westward, known as the Xu You River, which connects to Panlong River before entering Peize (now Weishan Lake), serving as Xu You’s waterway between Chenhao and Peize. Named after this ancient celebrity, Xu You Spring and River have a history of over 4,000 years and still flow to this day. During the Western Han Dynasty, this was a prosperous and densely populated agricultural region. In the early Han period, Xinyang County was established north of the town, and later in the late Western Han, the Xinyang Marquisate was set up here. From the Northern and Southern Dynasties through the Five Dynasties, Tang, Song, Yuan, and until the late Ming Dynasty, this area was a renowned ceramics hub in northern China. In the Qing Dynasty, coal mining and quarrying industries also flourished. As a result, there are many scenic spots and historical sites here, most notably the “Spectacular Tomb Mountain,” along with Xu You Spring, Yong’an Temple, and Chenhao Town, all of which were ancient tourist destinations.

　　 “Xu You Spring” got its name because Xu You once stayed here. Legend has it that Xu You, a noble hermit from Yangcheng in ancient times, declined the throne offered by Emperor Yao and lived in seclusion in Peize (Weishan Lake). When Yao and his eldest son, Kao Jianming, came looking for him in Peize, Xu You traveled eastward along the Panlong River to Chenhao and stayed near Xu You Spring. Later, Yao enfeoffed Kao Jianming’s son in Peize at Liuyi, establishing the “Liuzi Kingdom” (now submerged under the lake). The Ming Dynasty’s Wanli-era “Yanzhou Prefecture Records” deemed it credible that Xu You had visited Chenhao, stating: “Xu You Spring is located forty li west of the county and one li east of Chenhao Market. The spring has two or three outlets with clear water, surrounded by an ancient stream lined with old trees, flowing past Qingzhang Bridge into the canal. According to Lüshi Chunqiu, Emperor Yao visited Xu You in Peize and invited him to rule the realm. Yixian and Pei were neighboring regions, so this must be Xu You Spring.” Xu You Spring has been a scenic attraction throughout the ages, not only for its beauty but also for its clear, bubbling waters: “The Xu You Spring pool is over ten feet deep, gushing as if boiling, with crystal-clear visibility right to the bottom, emerging from flat ground with splashing beads and floral sprays.” In the Tang Dynasty, Yong’an Temple was built nearby, with the spring encircling it like a ribbon, while ancient trees surrounded the temple, creating a serene atmosphere. The temple borrowed the spring’s name, and the spring flowed beside it; together with the ancient trees, they attracted many literati and poets seeking tranquility. Yong’an Temple was called Yan Gong Temple in the Song Dynasty and later Da Yun Temple in the Yuan Dynasty. Despite several name changes, it remained highly popular.

　　 “Chenhao Porcelain Town” thrived for over a thousand years from the Northern and Southern Dynasties through the Five Dynasties, Sui, Tang, Song, Yuan, and until the late Ming Dynasty. During the Ming Jiajing era, the prominent Dong family of Chenhao ceramics was at its peak, with a family member even achieving the title of “Tan Hua” (third place in the imperial examination). The Dong family owned buildings, pavilions, courtyards, and ponds that occupied half of Chenhao. Today, southeast of Chenhao lies the three-acre Dong family Tan Hua forest cemetery. From surviving inscriptions in the Dong family garden and cemetery, one can glimpse the beautiful scenery of Chenhao Porcelain Town and the prosperity of its ceramic industry. The inscription on the “Chenhao Town Shi Yong Pavilion” reads: “Lofty views east and west, serene scenes abound; a jade-like wave encircles the village. Flowers bloom in vibrant hues all year round, mist veils peaks in purple and green. The imperial route follows the river through Xuzhou and Yanzhou, carts and boats head to the capital. The pavilion stands as a testament to the village’s importance, as rural folk sing praises to the north.” Another poem, “Ode to the Rear Pavilion Pond,” reads: “Jade steps and a fairy pool, flowers remain fair even in autumn. Bees know to shun closed doors, butterflies avoid flying through windows. Tree shadows thin before the eaves, clouds thicken in the courtyard. Picking up the goose, we forbid the two Lis; laughing, we sail at night.” These inscriptions not only depict the Dong family’s elegant pavilions and the picturesque scenery of Chenhao Town but also reflect how Chenhao ceramics were transported via the Panlong River and the east-west official road of Yixian County to the Xuzhou-Yanzhou route, leading straight to the capital. Chenhao, nestled against mountains and close to rivers, is surrounded by springs. The village features a single-arch stone bridge built during the Tang Dynasty. The poem describes a flower-filled garden town with year-round blooms, a jade-like river encircling the village, and misty purple peaks beyond the mountains—all matching Chenhao’s reality. The bridge mentioned, commonly called the “Camelback Bridge,” was built in the Tang Dynasty and still stands today after a thousand years, bearing witness to the rise and fall of Chenhao Porcelain Town. As a historic site, it deserves preservation. The decline of Chenhao Porcelain Town is not recorded in historical texts. Legend says that in the late Ming Dynasty, the Dong family violated imperial bans, leading to their home being confiscated by the emperor. The porcelain artisans of Chenhao then moved to Boshan, causing Chenhao ceramics to decline while Boshan ceramics flourished. Although Chenhao ceramics are no more, as a major porcelain town in northern China, its rise and fall, product quality, and decorative patterns remain valuable subjects of study. Its kiln sites and remnants of the ancient porcelain town still exist and can be developed as tourism resources.

　　 “Spectacular Tomb Mountain” amazes with its grandeur, quantity, craftsmanship, and depth. Its grandeur lies in its massive scale—about 1 million square meters, rarely seen elsewhere in China. Its abundance is in the variety of stone carvings, featuring nearly all types found in Han Dynasty stone reliefs across the country. Its refinement is in the exquisite carvings, with all tomb stones polished. Its depth is in the hidden tombs beneath the visible mounds and surrounding areas yet to be uncovered, leaving many mysteries for excavation, exploration, and research. The “Yixian County Annals: Mountains and Rivers” states: “Tomb Mountain has steep terrain, with many ancient tombs at its foot, piled like earthen mounds. Those who have explored the caves say the interior has winding corridors and chambers all carved from stone. Going deeper, the twists and turns lead to pitch darkness where nothing can be seen, frightening explorers into retreat—likely the tombs of notable figures from the past.” The Shenbao newspaper on June 7, 1936 (1936 AD) reported: “Tomb Mountain has seventy or eighty ancient tombs, densely clustered, far larger than the Cao Wang Tombs in Teng County, several times bigger. The tombs are entirely covered in Han Dynasty stone reliefs with exquisite patterns. Nearby villagers often use these stones for wall foundations, found everywhere.” The “Zaozhuang Cultural Relics Annals” state: “Villagers still frequently discover ancient tombs while building houses, quarrying stone, or leveling land. These are all stone-chambered or stone-box tombs, with reliefs depicting figures, architecture, and mythical beasts.” Villagers have surveyed the tombs on the mountain. Tomb Mountain is 233.4 meters high, with three layers of tombs at its summit. The first layer at the peak has one large tomb, 30 meters long and wide, 3 meters high. The second layer, in the southern hollow of the peak, features two medium tombs at the front, 20 meters long and wide, 2 meters high; five small tombs to the west, about 10 meters long and wide, 1.5 meters high; and three small tombs to the east, also about 10 meters long and wide, 1.5 meters high. The third layer, in the southern hollow of the second layer, has seven medium-small tombs at the front, about 20 meters long and wide, 2 meters high, and four small tombs to the east, about 6 meters long and wide, 1 meter high. On the western hollow of the mountain, there are three meticulously built stone caves, though it’s unknown whether they contain tombs. Below the mountain, tombs are buried underground around Tomb Mountain Village and the areas between Tomb Mountain, Liugou, and Mazhuang villages. Only the large tomb in Mazhuang remains above ground. Legend says this tomb once covered an area of one mu and six fen (approx. 1,067 square meters), with a current earthen mound 6 meters high and 30 meters in diameter. By analogy, the large tombs on the mountain, despite over 2,000 years of weathering, still have mounds 30 meters in diameter—likely three to five times larger originally. Before the founding of New China, a tomb collapsed in a flat area south of Tomb Mountain Village and northwest of Liugou Village. People who entered described a vast, grand chamber with carved stone walls, beautiful and intricate designs. At the entrance was a square courtyard, with passages on all four sides. Every ten meters or so, another square courtyard appeared, each with passages leading further into endless darkness. No one dared to venture beyond the third or fourth levels. Since ancient times, local officials and residents have speculated about this three-li (approx. 1.5 km) square tomb area: First, the three cave entrances on the mountain might be tomb entrances, but no one has entered them. Second, legends vary about the underground square courtyards and corridors—some say they connect to the mountain, others claim they are all above ground, covering a vast area. In ancient times of war, villagers supposedly hid food and clothing in the tomb area. Third, such a massive tomb complex with such refined carvings must have been built by powerful nobles or clans of ancient times, though unrecorded in historical texts. It’s certain it wasn’t the tomb of Liu Yong, the Marquis of Xinyang from the Western Han Xinyang County. In the second year of the Hongjia era (19 BC) of the Western Han, Liu Yong, son of King Qing of Lu, was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Xinyang. His son, Liu Ji, was stripped of the title shortly after for a crime. Spanning just twenty years, even if Liu Ji hadn’t been stripped of his title, Liu Yong’s twenty-seven years as a county marquis would end when the Western Han fell to the Xin Dynasty. Such a short-lived marquisate, with few descendants, couldn’t have built such a massive tomb complex. Nor could the small Xinyang County have afforded it. Who built the grand tomb complex on Tomb Mountain, and from which dynasty or clan, remains a topic for historians. However, if there truly are large underground courtyards and corridors connecting to the mountain, it would count as one of Shandong’s great “miracles.” Even if not sensational nationwide, it would still qualify as a notable Shandong tourist attraction. (By Zhang Dainan)