Cao Ding tomb

Cao Ding tomb

From the city of Nantong, Jiangsu Province to Langshan, about half a way, you can see two Ginkgo trees rising in the distance, divided into two, towering high in the road. Under the South shade of Ginkgo biloba is the place where Cao Ding, the Anti Japanese hero, sleeps.

geographical position

At the foot of Langshan, Nantong City, Jiangsu Province.

Personage introduction

Cao Ding, the name of Tongcheng, was passed down from generation to generation. His ancestors told the story that he was a noodle worker, and he was holding a noodle knife to kill Japanese pirates. In the eyes of yellow haired children, he created the initial image of a hero. Cao Ding in history is by no means inferior to him in legend. In the 32nd year of Jiajing in the Ming Dynasty (1553), he was enlisted to fight against Japanese and made great achievements. In April of the next year, 3000 Japanese pirates invaded Tongzhou. The whole city was in a panic. Cao Ding asked for orders and led 500 sailors to move outside the city. The Japanese invaders attacked the city and fought for more than 20 days. They retreated after losing their strength. The reason why the city was not poisoned was that the army and the people in the city worked together to defend it, and the enemy was disturbed outside the city of caoding. In the battle, Cao Ding killed more than 100 Japanese soldiers and was wearing dozens of injuries. In April of the 36th year of Jiajing (1557), the Japanese invaders came again. Cao Ding led the people to pursue and kill from 50 miles north of the city to danjiadian (today's Pingchao town). The bloody battle lasted for more than three hours. It rained heavily, the ground was muddy, and the horses lost their feet. Cao Ding fell into the ditch. All the bandits fought together. Unfortunately, he died at the age of 44. Cao Ding, the son of a salt roaster, grew up with his father in his master's family and took his master's surname as his surname. After joining the army, he gave more rewards to his contemporaries and his former master. He never asked for money. His doctor's blood stained voice was brilliant and his earthy simplicity was even more obvious. In the old TongZhou annals, Cao Dingli was known as "Zhongyi". It is said that "Zhou people called Ding the Great Wall, and they all cried when they heard of his death." In the song of general Cao Ding written by Zhu Wei in the Qing Dynasty, "the general died three days ago, and his heroic spirit is still there." it is no exaggeration to praise the influence of Cao ding on later generations.

Construction of ancestral temple

After Cao Ding died for his country, people in Tongzhou built ancestral halls and tombs on the way to Langshan. The old records were called "Cao Yiyong ancestral hall" and "Cao Yiyong tomb". The original painted statue of Cao Ding in the ancestral hall was later demolished in the mid-1960s due to inconvenient transportation, leaving only two gingko trees in front of the ancestral hall. In front of the temple is a tomb. A new statue of Cao Ding was added at the beginning of the Republic of China. On the high seat, Cao Ding strides over a horse with a horizontal knife, holds his beard in one hand and looks deep into the south. It seems that he is waiting for the golden drum to hit the spot, crossing the horse to go on an expedition

Not far from the tomb of caoding, there is a high mound, which is the site of beacon fire in Ming Dynasty. There are three big characters "Wozi tomb" embedded on the pier. According to folk legend, there are the remains of the Japanese pirates killed by Cao Ding. In people's feelings, only such a towering memorial tablet can express their respect for this civilian hero who died for his country.

Address: beside Chengshan Road, south suburb, Tongzhou District, Nantong City, Jiangsu Province

Longitude: 120.88244683224

Latitude: 31.979453454685

Chinese PinYin : Cao Ding Mu