Tomb of Shen Congwen

　　The Tomb of Shen Congwen is located on Tingtao Mountain by the Tuojiang River. It was originally named “Dumu Garden.” About 1.5 kilometers east of the Hongqiao Bridge, you’ll reach the farmhouse boat pier. After walking roughly one kilometer, you’ll see a colorful stone inscribed with five bold characters: “Tomb of Shen Congwen.” The esteemed writer rests peacefully here. In front of the tomb are two plum blossom trees, standing guard over the tranquil city of Fenghuang alongside Shen Congwen. The colorful stone is engraved with Shen’s own handwriting: “Reflect upon me, and you will understand ‘me’; reflect upon me, and you will come to know humanity.” The tomb is nestled against the mountain and by the water, in a serene setting. Often, many fresh flowers are placed in front of the grave—signs that visitors have come to pay their respects. At the foot of the mountain, there is a bookstore called Taoshan Shushe that sells Shen Congwen’s works as well as postcards. You can get a souvenir stamp there as a memento.

　　Shen Congwen (1902~1988)　　Shen Congwen (1902–1988) was a renowned Chinese writer. His original name was Shen Yuehuan, and he used various pen names including Xiuyunyun, Jiachen, Shangguan Bi, and Xuanruo. His childhood name was Maolin, and his courtesy name was Chongwen. He was born in Fenghuang County, Hunan Province. His paternal grandmother, Lady Liu, was of the Miao ethnic group; his mother, Huang Suying, was Tujia; and his grandfather, Shen Hongfu, was Han Chinese. Therefore, Shen Congwen could be considered a member of any of these three ethnicities, but he himself had a stronger affinity for the Miao people, and his literary works contain numerous depictions of Miao culture. Shen Congwen was both a writer and a researcher of historical relics. At the age of 14, he joined the military and wandered the border areas of Hunan, Sichuan, and Guizhou. He began his literary career in 1924, writing... Details+