Xuzhou – the “Athens of the Orient “

Liu Bang’s rule forms an abundant part of Xuzhou’s tangible cultural heritage today, including scenic spots such as the platform to sing the Song of the Great Wind (Gefeng Tai), the Sishui Pavilion, Drawing Sword Spring (Bajian Quan) and Maba Spring. Liu Bang also left intangible cultural heritage. According to Han expert Ma Peifeng, Liu Bang’s legacy includes the Chinese language and Chinese characters, as well as the model of “one country, two systems,” an emphasis on Confucianism, developing agriculture and exempting certain groups from tax. Liu Bang’s establishment of the Han culture roused the whole nation’s consciousness and self-respect for its cultural value.

At that time Xiang Yu declared Xuzhou to be the state capital. Xiang was born in today’s Suqian City, over 100 kilometers from Xuzhou. In fact, Suqian was formerly part of Xuzhou. The places of interest in Xuzhou that are related to Xiang Yu include Xima Tai (a horse racing viewing terrace). According to Luo Yongxin, director of Xuzhou Tourism Bureau, although historical records show that Xiang Yu was defeated by Liu Bang, both Liu Bang and Xiang Yu are equally admired and respected by locals. The Chu Garden, which was built to commemorate Xiang Yu, opened earlier this year.

Because of its geographic location and the changing course of the Yellow River, Xuzhou suffered persistent flooding in the past. Therefore, a large number of Han Dynasty relics are thought to be buried there. Since the 1980s, with the development of urbanization, many cultural relics have been excavated. Among them, the most representative are tombs, stone carvings and the terracotta army of the Han Dynasty.

There are 300 to 400 Han tombs in Xuzhou. To date, only two are open to visitors – the Guishan (Turtle Mountain) Tomb and Shizi (Lion) Mountain Tomb. They were built for princes during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 24). The former features a delicate construction, the latter, exquisite unearthed cultural relics.

The Guishan Mountain Tomb is composed of two connecting, parallel tombs. The southern one is the resting place of Liu Zhu, Prince Xiang of Chu. His wife is interred in the northern one. The couple’s tomb was built inside the mountain. It has been described as an “oriental pyramid” because of its imposing manner and exquisite craftsmanship. Many mysteries surrounding the tomb remain unsolved today.

The Shizi Mountain Tomb is a short 10-minute drive east of Pengcheng Square in the center of the city. This is the mausoleum of Liu Wu, the third-generation Prince of Chu during the early Western Han Dynasty. About 4,000 terracotta figures were found here in 1984. Ten years later the prince’s coffin chamber was discovered. Built deep inside the mountain, the huge coffin chamber extended about 100 meters deep. The number of various precious cultural relics unearthed exceeded 2,000 pieces of gold, silver, copper, iron, jade, stone and ceramics. The magnificent mausoleum housed some exceptionally beautiful artifacts, some of which were the first of their kind to be found in the history of Chinese archaeology. The most precious find was the osseous remains of the prince, which have enabled modern scientists to recreate his physical appearance 2,100 years after he lived.

In the Han Dynasty, it was popular to worship ancestors and promote filial piety as taught by Confucius. People believed the soul would be eternal; therefore, they formed an idea that the deceased would continue to live, as living people do, but in a different realm. When designing and building tombs they aimed to include all the commodities and tools that living people would use in everyday life.

Yaowan Ancient Town.