Tomb of General Ba Manzi

　　   The Tomb of General Ba Manzi, commonly known as "General's Tomb," is located beneath the Yuhai Building at Lotus Pond, Qixinggang, Yuzhong District, Chongqing (on the basement floor of the furniture store next to Shanghai No. 1 Department Store). The tomb site is an arched stone cave, covering an area of about 20 square meters. The tomb is built in a hexagonal shape with stone slabs, with each edge approximately 1 meter high. The top is round, sealed with lime mortar. The front is inlaid with a bluish slate stele. The current tombstone was inscribed during the early Republic of China by Dan Maoxin of Rong County, reading "Tomb of General Ba Manzi of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty."

　　   Ba Manzi was a general of the ancient Ba State during the Warring States period, more than two thousand years ago. He was born in Linjiang City (now Zhong County) in the late Eastern Zhou Dynasty. To defend the city, Ba Manzi committed suicide by cutting his own throat. Later generations, in honor of his loyalty, renamed Linjiang to Zhongzhou (literally "Loyal State"). The ancient city wall where Ba Manzi cut his head but kept the city is located at the east gate of the old county town and can still be seen today.

　　   The tomb chamber and stele of Ba Manzi have suffered severe weathering. It is faintly possible to make out that the tomb is hexagonal and entirely sealed with stone. The central tombstone is inscribed in seal script with “Tomb of General Ba Manzi of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty,” with the upper inscription reading “11th Year of the Republic of China, 2nd Month, Auspicious Day” and the lower inscription “Inscribed by Dan Maoxin of Rong County.” More than 500 years ago, during the Ming Dynasty, a book called "Records of Scenic Spots in Shu" described the location of the tomb chamber at Qixinggang as follows: “Behind the prefectural school at Lotus Dam, there are stone lizards and stone tigers, which are said to be the tomb of the King of Ba.” Later, some burial objects were discovered, proving that the buried person was not a king but a general, hence the site is also commonly referred to by locals as "General's Tomb."

　　   According to the "Huayang Guo Zhi · Ba Zhi" (Chronicles of the States of Huayang · Records of Ba), during the late Eastern Zhou Dynasty, General Ba Manzi of the Ba State requested military assistance from the Chu State to quell internal strife, promising to reward them with three cities. Once the unrest was resolved, Ba Manzi could not bear to cede the cities, so “he cut off his own head and presented it to the Chu envoy,” asking him to convey his apologies to the King of Chu. Touched by his loyalty, the King of Chu “buried his head with the rites due to an eminent minister,” while the Ba State “also buried his body with the same honors.” A poem praises this event: “His noble sacrifice shines as bright as the sun and moon; his deed of preserving the city echoes through the mountains and rivers.”

　　   The original construction date of the Tomb of General Ba Manzi is unknown, but it has been repaired in various dynasties. The existing tomb was rebuilt in 1922. The current tombstone was inscribed during the early Republic of China by Dan Maoxin of Rong County, reading “Tomb of General Ba Manzi of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty.” According to the "Huayang Guo Zhi · Ba Zhi": during the late Eastern Zhou Dynasty, General Ba Manzi of the Ba State requested military assistance from the Chu State to quell internal strife, promising to reward them with three cities. Once the unrest was resolved, Ba Manzi could not bear to cede the cities, so “he cut off his own head and presented it to the Chu envoy,” asking him to convey his apologies to the King of Chu. Touched by his loyalty, the King of Chu “buried his head with the rites due to an eminent minister,” while the Ba State “also buried his body with the same honors.” A poem praises this event: “His noble sacrifice shines as bright as the sun and moon; his deed of preserving the city echoes through the mountains and rivers.”

　　   Address: Lotus Pond, Qixinggang, Yuzhong District, Chongqing