Tomb of Ba Manzi in Chongqing

　　Introduction      Commonly known as the "General's Tomb," it is situated near Lianhua Pond at Qixinggang in Yuzhong District, Chongqing. The tomb site consists of an arched stone cave, covering an area of about 20 square meters. The tomb itself is built in a hexagonal shape using stone slabs, with each edge approximately 1 meter high. The top is round and sealed with lime plaster.       At the front is an inset bluestone tablet. The existing tombstone was inscribed during the early Republic of China era by Dan Maoxin from Rong County, reading “Tomb of General Ba Manzi of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty.” Ba Manzi was a general of the ancient State of Ba more than two thousand years ago during the Warring States period. According to the Huayang Guo Zhi · Ba Zhi (Records of the States South of Mount Hua · Records of Ba), in the late Eastern Zhou Dynasty, General Ba Manzi sought military assistance from the State of Chu to quell internal strife, promising to reward them with three cities. Once the rebellion was suppressed, Ba Manzi, unable to bear the thought of ceding territory, “cut off his own head and presented it to the Chu envoy,” asking him to convey his apologies to the King of Chu. Deeply moved, the Chu king “buried his head with the rites befitting a high minister,” and the State of Ba “similarly buried his body with the same honors.” A poem praises the event: “His noble sacrifice shines brighter than the sun and moon; the old tale of the city endures beyond mountains and rivers.” The original construction date of Ba Manzi’s Tomb is unknown, but it has been repaired through various dynasties. The current structure was rebuilt in 1922.

　　 Yuzhong, Chongqing