Su Xiaoxiao was a talented and beautiful songstress from the Qiantang region during the Southern Qi Dynasty of the Southern Dynasties. She was renowned for her poetic talent, and numerous poems, novels, and operas have been dedicated to her throughout the ages. Legend has it that Su Xiaoxiao was buried by the side of the Xiling Bridge after her death, and admirers of her literary grace built a tomb in her honor, which still existed during the Southern Song Dynasty. In front of the tomb stands a stone stele inscribed with the words: ‘Tomb of Su Xiaoxiao in Qiantang.’ The tomb is small yet exquisite, topped with a hexagonal pavilion known as the ‘Pavilion of Admiring Talent,’ allegedly constructed by Bao Ren, a scholar whom Su Xiaoxiao had once sponsored. The tomb and pavilion have undergone several cycles of destruction and reconstruction, and were completely demolished in December 1964. In 2004, the tomb was restored to its original appearance by the renowned Chinese garden expert Mr. Meng Zhaozhen, who meticulously examined old photographs to determine the exact location, scale, proportion, and color of the pavilion, thus authentically recreating the tomb’s original form. A distinctive feature of the restored tomb is the number of couplets, which is unparalleled in the entire West Lake scenic area. The new tomb displays a total of 12 couplets, collected through various channels and written by 12 famous Chinese calligraphers. These include phrases such as ‘The peach blossoms flow away with the water, the fragrant carriages of oil walls are never met again,’ ‘Where are the golden carriages of the Six Dynasties, the talent of a generation still exists in the green tomb,’ ‘Through the sparse lights and curtains, there are beautiful people living in the north, while the painted boats with songs and music teach the fragrant tomb to occupy the west,’ ‘Several generations of heroes have bowed down to the pomegranate skirt, and the Six Dynasties’ golden powder still leaves behind a handful of earth in the ridge,’ and ‘A thousand years of fame remains in the ancient sites, and the rhymes of the Six Dynasties are attached to the west.’ Su Xiaoxiao’s last wish was ‘to live in Xiling, die in Xiling, and be buried in Xiling, not to waste a lifetime’s love for mountains and rivers.’ The burial place by the Xiling Bridge fulfills the beauty’s last wish and adds luster to the landscape of West Lake. The entire text is open all year round and accessible at all times.
Tomb of Su Xiaoxiao in Qiantang
Su Xiaoxiao was a talented and beautiful songstress from the Qiantang region during the Southern Qi Dynasty of the Southern […]
