Yanzi's Tomb, Tomb of Confucius's disciple Yan Yan on Yushan, Changshu, Jiangsu, China
Yanzi's Tomb is the burial site of Yan Yan (Yanzi), a disciple of Confucius, on the eastern slope of Yushan in Changshu, Jiangsu. The tomb faces east and climbs the hillside, with a ramp passing three arches and three pavilions, a shadow-reflecting pool with the Wenxue Bridge, an offering terrace, and a burial mound about 3.5 metres across and 1.6 metres high. Two tombstones, from 1636 and the Qing dynasty, stand behind it.
The tomb was built during China's Western Han dynasty, making it over 2000 years old. Yanzi was a student of Confucius who gained great reputation through his learning ability and skill with words, later becoming known as the "Master of the South."
Yanzi is the honorific of Yan Yan, a Changshu native who studied under Confucius in the State of Lu and was called "Master of the South" after returning home. The central pavilion between the second and third arches carries a plaque inscribed by the Kangxi Emperor reading "文开吴会" (culture opens the Wu region). The two tombstones, one dated to the ninth year of Chongzhen (1636) and one from the Qing dynasty, read "先贤子游言公墓" and "先贤言子墓".
The tomb sits on the eastern slope of Yushan, north of Zhongyong's Tomb, with its entrance facing Changshu's Beimen Street. The approach climbs the hillside by a winding ramp, passing three arches, the Ying'e Pool and Wenxue Bridge between the first two arches, and three stone pavilions between the second and third. The mound itself is small, about 3.5 m across and 1.6 m high.
The site was deliberately chosen on a hillside for its favorable Feng Shui properties, symbolizing balance and good fortune. Two stone inscriptions from the Ming and Qing dynasties show how different generations maintained and renewed this memory across centuries.
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