Sima Guang’s Tomb

5 RMB

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Summer is the ideal season for traveling in Shanxi Province.

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Transportation is very convenient. The Tongpu and Houxi trunk railways serve as major transport arteries in this area, along with the Liyuan-Gudui branch railway. Highways radiate from Yuncheng City. Major routes include Taiyuan-Maojindu, Jincheng-Yumenkou, Linyi-Daning and Yuncheng-Fenglingdu. Branch lines connect Wenxi with Yongji, and Fenglingdu with Pinglu. The expressways from Yuncheng to Sanmenxia and Fenglingdu have been opened to traffic, while the Datong-Yuncheng Expressway is under construction.

Trains run from Yuncheng to Beijing, Xi’an, Tianjin, Chengdu, Taiyuan, Shijiazhuang, Datong, Linfen and other cities.

National Highway 209 passes through Yuncheng, leading to Sanmenxia in Henan and Huayin in Shaanxi. Buses bound for Wutai Mountain depart from Taiyuan Coach Station every 34 minutes. If you travel to Wutai Mountain from Shanghai, Nanjing, Suzhou, Wuxi, Xuzhou, Jinan, Shijiazhuang, Xi’an or Zhengzhou, take an express train to Taiyuan first, then take a direct long-distance bus from Wuyi Square to Wutai Mountain.

There are direct flights to Taiyuan from major cities such as Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu and Xi’an. Upon arrival, visitors can take long-distance buses from Wuyi Square to Wutai Mountain.

Since neither trains nor planes reach Wutai Mountain directly, road transport is essential. Travellers can alight at Shahe, Fanshi, Dai County or Yuanping on the Beijing-Yuanping Railway and transfer to local buses heading for Wutai Mountain. Buses to Wutai Mountain are also available at Ningwu and Yuanping on the North Tongpu Railway between Datong and Taiyuan. Multiple daily coaches run from Xinzhou to Wutai Mountain. Direct long-distance buses operate from Fuping in Hebei to Taihuai Town of Wutai Mountain, with daily shuttles between Taihuai Town and Taiyuan.

The Wutai Mountain June Fair (from the first day of the sixth lunar month to the tenth day of the seventh lunar month) draws the largest number of tourists. Extra tourist buses are arranged from surrounding towns including Dongye, Yangquan, Fuping, Fanshi, Yuanping and Shahe.

The tomb is located 12 kilometres west of Xia County. It stretches 300 metres from east to west and 190 metres from north to south. Facing south, the cemetery is divided into three sections: the mausoleum garden, the ancestral tomb complex and Yuqing Chan Temple. Outside the main gate stands a stele pavilion built in the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty. It houses the famous Spirit Way Stele of Lord Sima Wengong, whose inscription was written by Su Dongpo, recording Sima Guang’s lifelong achievements. Dozens of portraits depicting Sima Guang’s life hang in the main hall of the Lord Wengong Memorial Hall.

Sima Guang, courtesy name Junshi, was exceptionally bright from childhood and known as a child prodigy. The story of "Sima Guang smashing the vat" is widely known among every household. In his official career, he was an important minister serving four dynasties and eventually held the position of prime minister. After retiring from politics, he compiled the monumental historical work Zizhi Tongjian (Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance).