Tomb of Yu Shan

　　The Tomb of Yu Shan is located on Xizidun in Yuyu Village, Xizi Lake Town. The tomb area faces the lake and originally consisted of the burial pit, the mound, the worship platform, stone statues, and a stone memorial archway. The rear half of the mound encircles the burial pit. In front of the mound, there is a three-tiered worship platform, on which, from top to bottom, stand a pair of stone officials and a pair of stone horses, all carved from granite in round sculpture. A stone memorial archway once stood before the worship platform, but it no longer exists. It is a key cultural relic protection unit of Anhui Province.

　　Yu Shan, styled Dehui, became a Jinshi (advanced scholar) in the third year of the Zhengde era (1508) during the Ming Dynasty and eventually rose to the position of Ancha Shi (Censorate official). He was known for his clean governance and courage to speak out for justice. During the Jiajing era, he responded to an imperial summons by submitting a memorial titled “Ten Gradual Declines,” spanning over ten thousand words, all of which pointed out current malpractices. “For thirty years after entering officialdom, he owned only a few humble rooms that barely sheltered him from wind and rain.” He died in office without even having enough money for his own funeral.

　　Yu Shan 　　In Xizi Lake of Tongcheng lies a small island called Xizidun. Amidst the lush greenery of Xizidun lies a fairly large ancient tomb known as the “Tomb of Yu Shan.” In front of the tomb stretches a formal spirit way, complete with stone figures and stone horses, making it a provincially protected cultural heritage site. Who was Yu Shan? Historical records state: “Yu Shan, a native of Tongcheng in the Ming Dynasty, styled Dehui, also known as Zhucheng. In the third year of the Zhengde era (1508), he became a Jinshi and was appointed as a diplomat, later promoted to Censor.” He was actually an official in charge of discipline inspection — a censor. The duty of a censor was to monitor conduct and fight against misconduct. However, this struggle was often extremely delicate, as they usually had to confront people of even higher rank and greater power than themselves. This... Details+

　　Source: Tongcheng Cultural Relics and Museums