Tomb and Temple of Sima Qian, Historian memorial cemetery in Hancheng, China

The Tomb and Temple of Sima Qian stands on a small hill by the old Xiayang ferry on the west bank of the Yellow River in Zhichuan Town, Hancheng. The temple's central axis has a Song-dynasty offering hall, five bays wide and three deep with a suspended gable roof, and a rear hall rebuilt in 1126. Behind is a round brick tomb with an ancient cypress on top.

The tomb and shrine stand beside the old Xiayang ferry on a hill above the west bank of the Yellow River, known locally as "Taishi Gaofen". The temple halls were built and rebuilt from the Tang to the Qing dynasty; the Xian Dian and the Qin Gong, rebuilt in 1126, are Song structures. The tombstone was written in 1776 by Shaanxi governor Bi Yuan.

Locals call the hill "Taishi Gaofen," after Sima Qian's title of Grand Historian. The tombstone, inscribed "Han Taishi Sima Gong Mu," was written in 1776 by Shaanxi governor Bi Yuan. A cypress on the tomb mound is said to have been planted in the Han dynasty.

The burial site and temple grounds are open year-round for visitors, with knowledgeable guides available on site. The complex is easily explored on foot, with clearly marked paths and plenty of space to wander through at your own pace.

The round brick tomb carries an ancient cypress on top, said locally to have been planted in the Han dynasty. Its stone marker, inscribed "Tomb of the Grand Historian Sima of Han", was written in 1776 by Shaanxi governor Bi Yuan. Locals call the mound "Taishi Gaofen", the Grand Historian's lofty tomb.