Huang Wei's Tomb Introduction
Huang Wei, courtesy name Mengwei, style name Yisou, also known as Yisuo, was from Wensuitou (now Housuitou) and was born in the first year of the Hongzhi era of the Ming dynasty (1488). He served as an official in Quanzhou and was a successful candidate in the imperial examination in the ninth year of the Zhengde era (1514). Initially appointed as a junior official in the Nanjing Ministry of Justice, he gained a reputation for his integrity, prudence, clarity, and benevolence in handling cases. He later rose to the position of governor of Nanhong, where he reduced forced labor, promoted moral education, prohibited the practice of hiring courtesans, and eliminated illicit shrines. Due to his recommendations, he was transferred to the governorship of Songjiang, where he had multiple achievements in governance. However, as a result of his straightforwardness and refusal to conform, he returned to his hometown to care for his parents and teach. Under Huang Wei's influence, customs and community morals significantly changed, leading to a popular saying in Kinmen: "Literature is for Xu Zhongdou, virtue is for Huang Yisou," and he was regarded as a "paragon of virtue," also being recognized as one of the Ten Prodigies of Wenling. In the sixteenth year of the Jiajing era (1537), during a famine in Quanzhou, the inspecting official Li Yuanyang requested Huang Wei, Xu Fu, and Yu Dayou to act in relief efforts. Huang Wei exhausted himself to the point of illness and eventually passed away on March 17 of the following year. His grave was constructed in the seventeenth year of the Jiajing era (1538) and is located on the northern foothills of Mount Taiwu in the Doumen Redevelopment Zone, between Housuitou and Doumen villages. The burial site takes the shape of a bird spreading its wings, referred to as "Feiya Luo Tian," and it presents a majestic sight. In front of the site, the Doumen Creek and Jinsha Creek flow gently from both sides and converge in front of the tomb, backed by Mount Taiwu, with the peaks along the Fujian coast serving as a pilgrimage site, at that time considered one of the four major feng shui auspicious sites in Kinmen. Most burial mounds are situated at the back of the grave; however, the back of Huang Wei's tomb features a protective wall behind the main body. The burial mound is divided into two layers, with the lower layer carved from a single piece of stone, and the middle part protruding in a square shape, topped with a convex stone resembling a cap, known locally in Kinmen as the "official seal-style tomb turtle." On either side of the front end of the mound, there are sculpted stone barriers, and at the back of the grave is the highest protective wall of the entire cemetery. Descending two steps from the center of the tomb is the memorial tablet, its front featuring three sections divided by carved bamboo joints, with the middle section depicting a celestial being holding a fan, accompanied by a deer and a crane, symbolizing blessing, wealth, and longevity. On either side are intricate carvings of carp leaping over the dragon gate and a phoenix. The sides of the memorial tablet extend outward, creating two paths for worshippers; the sanctuary between the second set of paths serves as a space for offerings. The inner sides of the third set of paths each have a stone bench for descendants to rest during rituals, which is a rare feature for this tomb. In front of the grave, there are pairs of stone horses, stone tigers, and stone pillars, but the pillars have since been lost, likely due to degradation. Not far from the northeast of the tomb, by the banks of Jinsha Creek, lies a fallen stone tablet; the upper part has become worn away, while the lower part is clearly visible, inscribed with high-quality carving work detailing Huang Wei's life achievements, with the inscription concluding with "inscribed by Jin Gui Xiang," a student promoted by Huang Wei during his tenure as governor of Songjiang, who visited Kinmen multiple times. This tablet was originally protected by a pavilion, which has unfortunately been destroyed. The tablet along the burial path was originally located by an ancient road adjacent to Doumen village, but after land reorganization in the 76th year of the Republic (1987), it is no longer by the road and has gradually been obscured by bushes. The inscription across the top reads "Great Ming," while the body of the tablet states "The tomb pathway of Huang Gong, the honorable minister and former governor of Songjiang, and his wife of the Chen family," conforming to the burial structure of a fourth-rank official from the Ming dynasty. This tomb possesses unique features among all Ming tombs on the island.
