Huang Wei Tomb Introduction
Huang Wei, courtesy name Mengwei, styled Yisou, also known as Yisuo, was from Wenshuitou (now known as Houshuitou). He was born in the first year of the Hongzhi era of the Ming dynasty (1488). He once served as a clerk in the Quanzhou Prefecture and became a jinshi in the ninth year of the Zhengde era (1514). Initially appointed as the deputy director of the Ministry of Justice in Nanjing, he was renowned for his integrity, caution, clarity, and kindness in managing prisons. He later rose to the position of governor of Nanhong, where he reduced corvée labor, promoted proper conduct, prohibited traveling women, and eliminated immoral temples. Due to recommendations from officials, he was transferred to the governorship of Songjiang Prefecture, where he achieved remarkable administrative results. Later, because of his outspoken criticisms and unwillingness to flatter those in power, he returned to his hometown to care for his parents and teach. Under Huang Wei's influence, the customs and practices of the local people changed significantly, leading to the popular saying in Kinmen: "Literature is referred to Xu Zhongdou, virtue is to Huang Yisou," and he was honored as a "person of complete virtue." He was also listed among the Ten Sons of Wenling. In the sixteenth year of the Jiajing era (1537), a great famine struck Quanzhou, and the inspector Li Yuanyang requested Huang Wei, Xu Fu, and Yu Dayou to facilitate disaster relief. Huang Wei worked tirelessly and fell ill, eventually passing away on March 17 of the following year. His tomb was constructed in the seventeenth year of the Jiajing era (1538) on the northern slope of Mount Taiwu, located between the villages of Houshuitou and Doumen, with the tomb shape resembling a bird spreading its wings, aptly named "Feiya Luotian." The site is quite imposing, overlooking flat farmland with Doumen Creek and Jinsa Creek gently flowing from both sides and converging not far in front of the tomb, backed by Mount Taiwu, and facing the peaks of the Fujian coastline as a ceremonial mountain, which at that time was listed as one of the four auspicious feng shui sites in Kinmen. Most of the tomb mounds are located at the back of the tomb, while behind Huang Wei's tomb is a protective wall, with a two-tiered mound. The lower tier is carved from a single rock, while the middle part protrudes in a square shape, and the upper tier is covered with inverted, protruding stone blocks, commonly referred to as "official seal-shaped turtle" in Kinmen. On both sides of the front end of the mound are stone railings with relief sculptures, and the back of the tomb features the tallest protective wall in the entire cemetery. Descending two steps from the center of the tomb is the spirit tablet, divided into three sections by relief carvings of bamboo joints, with a figure holding a fan in the middle, accompanied by a deer and a crane, symbolizing fortune, rank, and longevity, while the sides depict carp leaping over the dragon gate and a phoenix pattern. Two layers extend outward from both sides of the spirit tablet forming a ritual space; on the innermost side of the third layer, there are stone benches for descendants to rest, a rare feature of this tomb. In front of the tomb are pairs of stone horses, stone tigers, and stone pillars, though the pillars are now missing, likely due to collapse. Not far to the northeast, by the banks of Jinsa Creek, lies a fallen stone tablet, with the upper part of the inscription worn away while the lower part remains clear, showcasing high-quality carving, recording Huang Wei’s life and achievements. The end of the inscription is signed by Jin Guixiang, a student promoted by Huang Wei while he was the governor of Songjiang, who had visited Kinmen multiple times. The tablet originally had a pavilion for protection, which has unfortunately been destroyed. The memorial tablet was originally placed near the ancient road by Doumen village, but after land readjustment in 1987, it is no longer by the roadside and has gradually been obscured by foliage. The tablet's inscription reads "Daming" along the top, and the text describes "the tomb of the honorable Huang, who served as the governor of Songjiang Prefecture and the lady Chen,” characteristic of the fourth-rank official tombs of the Ming dynasty, making this tomb uniquely distinctive among Ming tombs across the island.
