Chen Yingshi’s Tomb is a key cultural relics protection unit in Zhejiang Province. Located at the foot of Xian Mountain in the southern suburbs of Huzhou City, approximately 2 kilometers away from the city center.
The tomb was originally constructed in 1918, expanded in 1934, and underwent major restoration in 1998. The restored tomb consists of a stone archway, a tomb path, and the tomb chamber itself.
The site covers an area of about 3,000 square meters. The tomb path measures 201 meters in length and 12 meters in width. The central part of the path is 100 meters long and 2.8 meters wide. The stone archway stands at 6.25 meters high and 7.20 meters wide. It is made of granite in a four-pillar, three-bay structure that reaches skyward. A pair of stone lions flank the archway.
In the center of the archway’s plaque is Sun Yat-sen’s handwritten inscription ‘To Achieve Benevolence and Righteousness’. On the left is Lin Sen’s ‘The Heroic Spirit Endures’. On the right is Chiang Kai-shek’s ‘The Spirit is Immortal’. The couplets on the stone pillars are inscribed by Yu Youren and Cai Yuanpei.
After walking through the hundred-meter tomb path and ascending the steps, one arrives at the first sacrificial platform of the tomb. A pair of stone lions on either side of the platform further enhance the solemnity of the tomb.
At the center of the platform stands a massive granite stele, inscribed with ‘Admonitions from the Great President Sun’, consisting of 53 phrases with each phrase containing four characters, totaling 212 characters.Sun Yat-sen’s handwritten ‘Tomb of Chen Yingshi’ is inscribed on the tomb’s stone stele in front. This inscription expresses his high appraisal and deep affection for the martyr. Ascending the stone steps on either side of the first sacrificial platform leads one to Chen Yingshi’s tomb. The tomb is a remarkable structure, circular on top and square at the base, with ‘Heroic Spirit’ inscribed on the front of the tomb chamber. These words were written by Wang Shantao, the son of modern Huzhou calligrapher and painter Wang Yiting.
Following the stone walls of the tomb upward, one reaches a curved platform that offers a breathtaking panoramic view of the lake and mountains.
