The Tomb Cluster of the Han Princes of Liang

　　The Tomb Cluster of the Han Princes of Liang is located on Mangdang Mountain northeast of Yongcheng City, Henan Province. It is the burial site of Liu Wu, Prince Xiao of Liang during the Western Han Dynasty, as well as his successors. Starting with Prince Xiao of Liang, it is believed that all subsequent Princes of Liang during the Western Han were buried in Mangdang Mountain, along with their queens, concubines, and civil and military officials. The exact number of underground palaces remains unclear. Aside from the main peak, over twenty Han-era imperial tombs of the Princes of Liang have been identified, including the Tomb of Prince Xiao of Liang on Bao'an Mountain, the Tomb of Queen Li, the Mural Tomb of Shiyuan, the Tomb of the Jade Burial Suit from Xishan, the Tomb of the Queen, Tombs 1 and 2 on Huangtushan, Tombs 1 and 2 on Yaoshan, Tombs 1 and 2 on Nanshan, Tombs 1, 2, and 3 on Fuzishan, and Tombs 1, 2, and 3 on Tiejiaoshan. On November 20, 1996, the cluster was designated as part of the fourth group of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level by the State Council. Currently, the excavated Mural Tomb of Shiyuan, the Tomb of Prince Xiao of Liang, and the Tomb of Queen of Prince Xiao of Liang within the Bao'an Mountain mausoleum complex have become major tourist attractions in the Mangdang Mountain Cultural Heritage Tourism Area, drawing numerous visitors daily who come to explore history and mystery.

　　In 1992, archaeological excavations were carried out on Tomb 2 of Bao'an Mountain and the discovered residential palace of Prince Xiao of Liang, revealing the architectural layout of the mausoleum and the residential palace, as well as the arrangement of all Liang royal tombs from Prince Xiao onward. The mausoleum and residential palace of Prince Xiao of Liang and his queen are situated around Bao'an Mountain, enclosed by mausoleum walls, with the overall layout nearly square.

　　The residential palace of Prince Xiao of Liang is located slightly north of the eastern side of the tomb. The palace has a rectangular layout, measuring 110 meters from north to south and 60 meters from east to west. It consists of walls, corridors, the main resting chamber, courtyards, and rooms. The southernmost section is an outer courtyard outside the residential palace, referred to in historical texts as the "outer court." Inside the main gate of the residential palace lies a large rectangular courtyard surrounded by corridors, with a nearly square high-platform structure—the resting chamber—on the northern side. The resting chamber is the main building of the residential palace, built on a rammed earth platform surrounded by corridors. The platform features neatly arranged column bases, which served as wall pillars around the resting chamber. Behind the resting chamber are rows of rooms, reflecting the architectural layout of "front court, rear chambers." On the protective walls on either side of the eastern gate of the residential palace, there are square stone blocks used in the wall construction. Five inscribed characters have been found on these stones, including “the 8th day of the 2nd month,” “the 8th day of the 3rd month,” “the 15th day of the 5th month,” and “the 2nd day of the 1st month.” Based on this, it can be inferred that the construction of the residential palace of Prince Xiao of Liang began in 150 BC. The residential palace belongs to the early Western Han period. Its architectural style retains the ritualistic design traditions dating back to the Warring States period but also shows evolution, playing a transitional role in the history of Chinese architecture.

　　The Tomb of Queen of Prince Xiao of Liang is located 200 meters north of the Tomb of Prince Xiao of Liang. It is a large cliff tomb, where the burial chamber penetrates through the northern peak of Bao'an Mountain, forming two entrances on the eastern and western sides. The tomb is 210 meters long, with an interior area of 1,600 square meters, consisting of two passages, three corridors, and thirty-four chambers. The entire tomb resembles an underground palace and is currently the largest and most structurally complex large-scale tomb discovered. The tomb contains several thousand stone plugs, each weighing about one ton, most of which are inscribed, providing important information for studying the tomb’s structure and period. A burial pit was discovered to the south of the queen’s tomb, yielding nearly two thousand artifacts, including gold-plated bronze horse and chariot fittings, jade artifacts, and weapons. The horse and chariot fittings are practical items, large in size and exquisitely crafted, representing the highest level of craftsmanship in the Han Dynasty. A bronze seal inscribed with “Liang Hou Yuan” (Garden of the Queen of Liang) was also unearthed, providing direct evidence for identifying the tomb owner.

　　The Shiyuan Tomb derives its name from its location behind Shiyuan Village. Judging from the tomb’s structure, it likely belonged to a prince of Liang. The ceiling and sides of the main chamber feature a large mural with vibrant colors and smooth lines, making it one of the earliest and best-preserved large murals discovered in China.

　　The Xishan Tomb is located at the summit of Xishan Mountain northeast of the Tomb of Prince Xiao of Liang. It is a vertical rock-cut tomb. The tomb entrance faces east, and the front section of the tomb passage yielded a large number of exquisite jade artifacts, including over seventy jade discs, twenty-four jade sword and knife ornaments, as well as jade halberds, jade tablets, jade pigs, jade doves, and jade figurines of male and female dancers. Over a thousand jade fragments unearthed in the tomb have been restored into a complete jade burial suit threaded with gold wire. This is the second relatively intact jade burial suit discovered after the one in the Mancheng Han Tombs.

　　In 1996, the Tomb Cluster of the Han Princes of Liang was designated as part of the fourth group of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level by the State Council.

　　

　　Liu Wu (?～144)　　Liu Wu (unknown–144 BC) was a feudal prince of the Liang Kingdom during the Western Han Dynasty. He was the second legitimate son of Emperor Wen of Han (Liu Heng) and the younger full brother of Emperor Jing of Han (Liu Qi), with Empress Dou as their mother. In 178 BC (the 2nd year of Emperor Wen’s reign), he was enfeoffed as the Prince of Dai. In 176 BC (the 4th year of Emperor Wen’s reign), he was transferred to be the Prince of Huaiyang. In 168 BC (the 12th year of Emperor Wen’s reign), after the death of Prince Xiao of Liang (Liu Yi) without an heir, Liu Wu succeeded as the Prince of Liang. During the Rebellion of the Seven States, Liu Wu led troops to resist the allied forces of Wu and Chu, defending Suiyang (present-day Shangqiu, Henan), the capital of Liang, thereby protecting the imperial capital Chang’an. His contributions were immense. Later, relying on the favor of Empress Dou and the strength of the Liang Kingdom, he attempted to succeed Emperor Jing of Han but died of illness before succeeding. He was posthumously honored with the title “Filial King...” More details +