Eastern Han Tomb of Prince Chen

　　The tomb of Liu Chong, Prince Chen of the Eastern Han Dynasty, is located southwest of Duanzhuang Village on the eastern side of Daguan in the northern part of the county town. It was excavated in August 1988. Dating back to the middle-to-late period of the Eastern Han Dynasty and close to two thousand years old, this tomb is the largest, most uniquely structured, and best-preserved brick-and-stone tomb discovered in China in recent years. Resembling an "underground labyrinth," it is unique to Henan and rare throughout the country.

　　Huaiyang has a long history. Since Emperor Wu of Zhou enfeoffed Gui Man, a descendant of Emperor Shun, as the first ruler of the Kingdom of Chen, up until Emperor Huizong of the Northern Song Dynasty enfeoffed a Prince Chen, over 30 kings, dukes, and marquises were titled here, with Liu Chong, Prince Chen, being one of them. Historical evidence suggests that the tomb was built in the year 120 AD, and Liu Chong, Prince Qing of Chen, was buried here in 125 AD. The tomb chamber measures 28.3 meters in length from east to west and 18.2 meters in width from north to south. Over a thousand rare treasures were unearthed, including a silver-threaded jade suit, a three-tiered stone granary building depicted in relief, a jade dancing maiden with long sleeves, a Pixie lamp, a ceremonial stand, a dragon-shaped jade pendant, bronze horse and chariot ornaments, wuzhu coins, huobi coins, a Han-style brick inkstone, stone pigs, stone chickens, pottery, and more. Among these, the tomb bricks inscribed with the four characters “安君寿壁” (Anjun Shoubi — "Longevity Wall of Lord An") are especially rare treasures. The excavation of Prince Chen’s tomb received high praise from relevant higher authorities and experts. In recognition, provincial, municipal, and county leaders placed great importance on the site, allocating funds successively for its restoration. It has now been approved as a provincial-level key cultural relic protection unit.

　　The Eastern Han Tomb of Prince Chen predates Beijing’s Dingling Mausoleum by 1,495 years and is dozens of times larger than the ancient Han tombs of Luoyang. Stepping into the “underground palace” of Prince Chen and opening the main burial chamber, you can see that Liu Chong, King of Chen, still remains incorrupt with his true body intact, clad in a jade suit and with a shining night pearl in his mouth, accompanied by buried dancing maidens. The three-tiered stone granary building and bronze horse-drawn chariot inside the left and right ear chambers are fascinating to behold. The surrounding corridors are filled with all kinds of burial treasures, offering a truly eye-opening experience and making your visit well worthwhile.

　　Source: Huaiyang Government Website