Sima Guang (1019-1086) was a famous
historian and statesman during the Song Dynasty (907-1127).
Leaning against Taiyue Mountain in the east
and facing the Tongpu Railway in the west, the tomb yard covers a 30,000 square
meters. Most of Sima Guang's ancestors were buried there. At the center of the
tomb yard is the memorial hall and in front of the tomb are over 20 stone
carvings, including stone men, horses, tigers, pigs and goats. The tomb yard is
encircled by reddish-brown bricks.
The memorial hall was erected in 1149 with
the statue of Sima Guang at its the center, which has since been destroyed. In
front of the memorial hall are five stele pavilions with four divine steles of
Sima Guang. The original steles were eroded, but the present ones were rebuilt
in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) at 7.33 meters high. The tortoise-shaped base
and the top of the stele are originals from the Song Dynasty. The stele tower is
made of brick, in an elegantly decorated style.
Five tombs, aligned from east to west,
remain with dozens of stone men and animals on both sides of the tombs, as well
as three steles.
Built in 1065, the Yuqing Temple enshrines
the ancestors of Sima Guang. Three big Buddha statues, considered as some of the
most stellar works from the Song and very valuable to studies, can be found at
the temple. Flanking the Buddha are four guardian warriors and 16 disciples
located along both sides of the wall.