Tianyi tomb

Tianyi tomb

Located 500 meters southwest of Fahai Temple, Tianyi tomb is China's first special museum with eunuch history as the theme. It is the only eunuch Tomb of Ming Dynasty with the best preserved, the highest standard and the most exquisite stone carving in China. It is a key cultural relic protection unit in Beijing.

brief introduction

Tianyi tomb, also known as Cixiang nunnery and shixianglu nunnery, is located at the foot of Cuiwei mountain, Shijingshan District, Beijing, at No. 80, modokou street, about 1 Li north of Fahai Temple. It is the only eunuch Tomb of Ming Dynasty with the best preserved, the highest standard and the most exquisite stone carvings in China. It is also the first eunuch cemetery of Ming and Qing Dynasties open to the outside world. Now it is a cultural relic protection unit at district level. Located 500 meters southwest of Fahai Temple, Tianyi tomb is the first special Museum of eunuch history in China. It is a key cultural relic protection unit in Beijing.

Tianyi tomb consists of three parts: Cemetery exhibition area, eunuch culture exhibition room and field stone carving exhibition area. Tianyi tomb was built in the Ming Dynasty. The owner of the tomb was a eunuch of Jiajing, Longqing and Wanli dynasties, with four official ranks. At present, there are five eunuch tombs in the cemetery park, which are the most complete preserved eunuch tombs with the largest area, the highest regulation and the most exquisite stone carvings in China. From the area of Tianyi's tomb, the size and types of stone carvings, we can see that they are all over the system, especially the eight side relief of xumizuo in Huabiao, which not only proves that the funeral custom of aristocratic bureaucrats in Ming Dynasty often exceeds the ritual system, but also proves that the eunuch was autocratic and domineering in Ming Dynasty.

The underground palace of Tianyi's tomb was stolen many times. It was cleaned up and repaired in May 1998. Two nanmu boards and a box of epitaphs were left in the tomb. It is the third underground tomb for visitors to visit in Beijing after the Ming Tombs and the Western Han Tombs in Dabaotai. The three stele pavilions in the cemetery exhibition area were renovated last year.

history

Tian Yi's tomb was built in 1605, the 33rd year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty. It contains the tombs of Tian Yi, the most favored eunuch of the Ming Dynasty and more than ten other eunuchs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. By the Qing Dynasty, the tomb was abandoned and no one managed it. There was a monk who loved the scenery of the cemetery so much that he was afraid that it would be damaged by profiteering traitors. So he asked Emperor Kangxi to approve the construction of a "benevolent nunnery" in the east of the cemetery, which was called "Dongqu", and put Tianyi tomb into the nunnery as "Xiqu". Because there is a huge stone incense stove in front of the nunnery, "stone incense stove nunnery" got its name from this. There are two halls and three couplets in the Cixiang nunnery. Inside, there is a statue of Guanyin. On both sides of the temple are Zen halls. There is a small door connecting with Tianyi tomb.

At present, the palace serves as the exhibition room of Beijing eunuch culture exhibition hall.

Tian Yi

Tian Yi, a eunuch named Weichuan, was born in the 13th year of Jiajing (1534) in the Ming Dynasty. He entered the palace at the age of nine and went through Jiajing, Longqing and Wanli dynasties. Emperor Wanli saw that he was respectful and experienced in his work, and gave him a jade belt in Python clothes as a reward. In the 11th year of Wanli, salt thieves sprang up everywhere in Nanjing, and the people were in dire straits. Emperor Wanli sent Tian Yi to Nanjing and entrusted him with the duty of guarding Nanjing to arrest the thieves. After six years in Nanjing, Tian Yi faithfully carried out his will and completed his mission. After returning to Beijing, Tian Yi successively took charge of Siyuan Bureau, Jinmao Bureau, Sili Jianyin, Wine Bureau, vinegar Bureau and wheat bureau seal. He also granted Shangfang sword and allowed to ride horses in forbidden areas. This is rare in feudal society.

In the 33rd year of Wanli, Tian Yi, 72 years old, died of illness on the way to a mission. Emperor Wanli was so sad that he stopped court for three days and arranged for burial.

After his death, the emperor specially granted him a section of the tomb as a good city. After him, more than ten eunuchs admired Tian Yi's character and prestige and followed him to bury them in Tian Yi's graveyard, thus forming a small but rich eunuch cemetery.

Architectural features

The structure of Tianyi tomb is well preserved, including gatehouse, Huabiao, Wenwu stone statue, Lingxing gate, three stele pavilions, Xiangdian, Shigong, Shouyu gate and underground palace. The underground palace in the tomb has now been opened. One side of the epitaph and two nanmu coffins have been unearthed. As Tian Yi's tomb has been stolen many times, the precious burial objects have been looted.

A large number of stone carvings in Tianyi tomb area have high artistic and appreciation value, representing the stone carvings of the late Ming Dynasty, exquisite and exquisite. The stone carvings here are rich in content, including eight tones, eight treasures, seven treasures, four treasures of the study, auspicious patterns with homophonic meanings, eight immortals characters, historical stories and folk legends, such as suwu shepherd, yangxuyu and so on. On both sides of the Shinto, the costumes and steles of the officials and generals, as well as a large number of dragon sculptures (Note: to be exact, it should be Jiao, baopuzi): the mother dragon is Jiao. Yunhui: Jiao without horn. The dragon is exclusive to the emperor. No matter how favored the ministers are, it is impossible to use the dragon. Three public dragon, need to subdue the dragon, that is, the dragon's head in the bottom, the dragon's tail in the top. Emperor Shenglong, dragon head in the top, dragon tail in the bottom), exquisite workmanship. All the stone carvings in the tomb area are engraved with animals, plants, figures, instrumental music and mountain stone flowing springs, with various shapes and dignified posture.

Immortal stele

Eunuchs are a special group of servants of the royal family. They come from humble origins, but they are closest to the peak of power. They have no worries about food and clothing, but they live with tigers. They are sad but arrogant. Although they live in the inner courtyard of the deep palace, they have to worry about their old age. In order to provide for their old age and live a normal life, eunuchs set up a large number of properties and business houses for their old age; built temples and villas for their retirement; took concubines for their children; lived for the happiness of their family; after death, someone went to the grave to burn paper. In the Ming Dynasty, many eunuchs bought "grave temples" when they were powerful. "Grave Temple" is generally selected in the place of beautiful scenery, first build villas, and then build temples. The eunuch was here to serve the Buddha for rest, and was buried here after his death. There is a Tianyi tomb in Shijingshan, which is such a "grave Temple". The stone carvings in Tianyi tomb, especially those with Buddhist and Taoist allusions and fairy stories, can be regarded as fine works of art and are worth seeing.

Tian Yi was a eunuch in the Ming Dynasty. He entered the palace at the age of 9. He was the chief secretary in Longqing, and the official eunuch and ceremonial Eunuch in Jiajing and Wanli dynasties. Wanli died in 1606 at the age of 72. Tian Yi's achievements in history are remarkable. But after all, he was a loyal servant of the emperor's old son, and he was "simple and sophisticated, and experienced in his career". Therefore, from the Jiajing Dynasty's "Sui Jia Lu Mi" to the mid Wanli year's "grant to sit on a boa and ride a horse in a forbidden place", Tian Yi's official career was smooth, and Emperor Wanli commented that he was "willing to do a great job". When Tian Yi was alive, he enjoyed the treatment of the second grade eunuch (the highest fourth grade Eunuch in Ming Dynasty, Tian Yi was a special case).

Knowing the historical background of Tian Yi's "high position" before his death, it's not surprising that Tian Yi's tomb was violated by Wanli's offering sacrifices, Shinto's stone statues and a large number of dragon stone carvings. In addition to the official stone carvings, there are also a large number of "lion lying on the hill", "two deer fighting for spring", "pine, bamboo and plum" and "Gua" (the antennae of the head can also be seen). It is recorded in the poem Zhounan katydids. The meaning of this sculpture: wish you many children and grandchildren in another world.) They are the folk legends and stone carvings of immortals, bats, lotus and herbs, and the allusions of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. According to my observation, except for a few places such as the front of the "imperial edict" stele, there are carvings of this kind everywhere, especially in Tianyi tomb and five accompanying tombs.

Tianyi tomb area of the most western side of a accompany tomb (tomb owner ominous), by eight pieces of white marble carved into the tomb body. The eight relief patterns are composed of Taoist "seven treasures", Buddhist "eight treasures" ("eight auspicious") and "four arts of study". The "seven treasures" are the three rings, jewels, paintings, rhinoceros horn, coral, Fangsheng and Xiangyun of Taoism. There are some differences in the folk theories of "eight treasures" in Buddhism. It is believed that the explanation of "eight treasures" in Yonghe Palace should be more authoritative. The "eight treasures" are: the magic snail (with Bodhisattva meaning, wonderful sound and auspicious), the Falun (great Dharma circle, endless calamities), the umbrella (relax freely, bend and recover all living beings), the white cover (over three thousand, clean all medicines), the lotus (out of the five turbid world, no dye), the vase (blessing and wisdom perfect, with no leakage), the goldfish (firm and lively, free from bad knot), the Panchang (circle implementation, all clear). To the east of the tomb is the eunuch Ma Long Hu, who was buried here in the year of Chongzhen. The tomb, surrounded by ten pieces of blue stone, is carved with ten stories of eight immortals. Easily recognizable are: Zhang Guolao, Han Xiangzi, LAN CAI and tiaolan. These pictures are carved with deer, crane, woods, flowing water and other scenery in appropriate positions, and the ingenious layout is amazing. Whether it is the depiction of characters or the embellishment of animals and plants, these patterns embody the characteristics of the ingenious combination of realism and exaggeration. Look at Li Tieguai's open belly and the clear leaf texture. I can't help but touch it.

It is not surprising that such a rich and colorful art of stone carving appeared in the late Ming Dynasty. First, in the Ming Dynasty, Buddhism and Taoism were always respected, especially after Zhengde. In his second year as emperor, Jiajing built a Taoist temple in the palace. Many Taoists saw the "good gods" in the present-day saints, either offering incantations, or dedicated to praying and worshiping. Therefore, some Taoist officials from Longhushan went to the Ministry of rites, and some who were good at writing "Qingci" became prime ministers. Until his later years, Jiajing was still "devoted to metaphysical cultivation". One day, when he recited the Sutra, "he hit the chime with his hand, and sometimes beat other places by mistake." the maids did not dare to make a sound, only a little girl burst out laughing. Jiajing was in a good mood for fasting. Instead of committing a crime, she was granted the title of "Shou Fei". That year, shoufei was only 13 years old, and Jiajing was nearly 60 years old. After three months, Jiajing died. In the Wanli Dynasty, the Emperor

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