Zheng Chenggong was born in the fourth year
(1624) of the Tianqi reign in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). He was a great
national hero for battling Netherlands invaders and reoccupying and developing
Taiwan of China in the 17th Century. Leading the main army, he set
out from the Liaoluo Bay in Jinmen on March 27 of the 15th year
(1661) of Yongli in the Ming Dynasty. He reoccupied Taiwan completely on
February 1, 1662. In the first year (1662) of the Kangxi reign, Zheng Chenggong
died in Taiwan.
After the death of Zheng Chenggong, he was
buried in Zhouzaiwei in the south of Taiwan. In the 38th year (1699)
of the Kangxi reign, Zheng Keshuang, the grandson of Zheng Chenggong, returned
to the mainland, and Emperor Kangxi granted the coffins of Zheng Chenggong and
his son Zheng Jing to return and be buried in their native place. They were
buried in the graves of their ancestors of the Zheng family in Fachan Mountain
about 13 km away from their hometown -- Shijing.
Moved together for burial were the wooden
statue of Zheng Zhilong, who was Zheng Chenggong's father, and the coffins of
Zheng Chenggong's Japanese mother, his wife and daughter-in-law. When the
coffins were moved for burial, the scenario was very grand. Emperor Kangxi
granted the elegiac couplet: "When the four towns are disloyal, the stationed
armies on the two islands dare to fight for part of the southeast. When all the
princes have no land at all, the fighters in that place know there is loyalty
overseas."
The mausoleum was an earthen tomb. In the
tomb there are nine rooms in three rows to house 9 tall vermeil coffins. There
is a little room called the epitaph hall in front of the tomb. A couple of
ornamental columns are erected in front of the tomb, and 9 couples of stone
splints are erected under the ornamental columns, for setting the
mast.
February 1, 1962 was the 300th anniversary
of Zheng Chenggong's reoccupation of Taiwan. In order to celebrate the great
day, the Chinese government repaired the mausoleum again. Granite steps were
built in front of the tomb, and an alcove was built on the right of the tomb,
and the Epigraph for Repairing National Hero Zheng Chenggong's Mausoleum was
erected.