The Lion Mountain Chu King Mausoleum is located 4 kilometers east of Xuzhou city area. It is an essential scenic spot in the Han culture scenic area. The 54.3-meter-high Lion Mountain is almost hollowed out, and the grandeur of the mausoleum is evident. Various clues also show that the tomb is unfinished. The identity of the tomb owner is a bit mysterious. It may be Liu Wu, the third-generation Chu king of the Western Han Dynasty (still controversial).
After being defeated in the Rebellion of the Seven States, he was forced to commit suicide to avoid implicating his family and was buried hastily. If you are a fan of Han culture or a ‘tomb raiding’ enthusiast, you might as well come here to explore. Entering from the south gate of the Han culture scenic area is the Lion Mountain Chu King Mausoleum. In front of the mausoleum stands a statue of the Chu king riding a war horse. The mausoleum runs from north to south. Entering the tomb, the first thing you see is the outer tomb passage in the south, which is 27.6 meters long. It is slightly wider than the subsequent tomb passages. Continuously going down along the steps, where the walls on both sides suddenly narrow to form a ‘narrow strip of sky’ is the middle tomb passage. The middle tomb passage is 20.3 meters long. On the east side, there is a tomb of a close minister who served the Chu king’s diet buried as a sacrifice. Continuing north is the inner tomb passage, which is 19.3 meters long. The patio above leads to the top of the mountain. In those days, craftsmen dug in from the patio to build the Chu king’s mausoleum. There are three side chambers on both sides of the inner tomb passage. The side chamber on the east is the kitchen. It has two doors and is the largest of all the tombs. You can see ancient kitchenware replicas placed inside. The side chamber on the west and south is the imperial storehouse for storing ritual vessels and weapons. Exquisite gold buckles have been unearthed here. The side chamber on the west and north is the imperial storehouse for storing bathing utensils. Going further forward, you can see the main tomb door. To prevent tomb raiding, it was sealed with 16 blocking stones. Although the previous three side chambers were spared, the rest of the tombs behind the main tomb door were still robbed. It is speculated that it was a large-scale official tomb robbery around the time when Wang Mang usurped the throne (around 8 AD). Behind the main tomb door is the corridor leading to the main tomb chamber. It is 33.8 meters long. There are six side chambers on both sides, respectively the money storehouse, the imperial storehouse for daily utensils, the imperial seal storehouse for the official seals and gold wares of the Chu Kingdom, and the burial chambers for the concubines. At the end of the corridor is the front hall, that is, the main tomb chamber. Originally, a very rare inlaid jade coffin was placed on the east side. When the Chu king’s mausoleum was excavated, a jade burial suit sewn with gold thread was unearthed. It was made of more than 4,000 high-quality Hetian jade pieces. Unfortunately, the gold thread has been taken away by tomb robbers. Of course, the coffins and jade burial suits seen in the tomb chamber now are all replicas. Finally, reaching the back chamber at the northern end, be sure to pay attention to the rough excavation marks here, which are powerful proof that the mausoleum is unfinished. In the center of the back chamber stands a statue of the Chu king restored according to the remains of the Chu king. On both sides are placed replicas of chime bells and stone chimes unearthed here. It is speculated that this may be a music and dance hall.After visiting the Lion Mountain Chu Tomb, you may also wish to explore the Han Cultural Scenic Area, which includes the Terracotta Warriors Museum, the Underwater Terracotta Warriors Museum, and the Han Painting Gallery, collectively known as the ‘Two Han Three Uniques’. If the replicas in the Lion Mountain Chu Tomb do not suffice, you can visit the Xuzhou Museum, where many authentic artifacts from tombs are on display. The opening hours are from April 1st to October 31st, 08:30 to 17:00; and from November 1st to March 31st, 08:30 to 16:30.
