Huang Wei Tomb Introduction
Huang Wei, styled Mengwei, also known as Yisou or Yisuo, was a native of Wenshui (now known as Houshuitou), born in the first year of the Hongzhi era (1488) of the Ming dynasty. He served as a clerk in Quanzhou Prefecture and became a successful jinshi in the ninth year of the Zhengde era (1514). Initially appointed as the head of the Nanjing Ministry of Justice, he was known for his integrity, caution, clarity, and compassion in his judicial practices. He later rose to the position of governor of Nanhsiung, where he reduced forced labor, promoted etiquette education, prohibited courtesans, and dismantled lewd temples. Due to his recommendations by the officials of the day, he was then appointed governor of Songjiang Prefecture, where he achieved productive governance. Later, due to his candid advice and refusal to align himself with contemporary authorities, he returned to his hometown to care for his parents and teach. Under Huang Wei's influence, local customs and behaviors significantly changed; in Kinmen, there is a popular proverb, "Literature is Xu Zhongdou, virtue is Huang Yisou," and he is referred to as a "person of perfect virtue," also being recognized as one of the Ten Sons of Wenling. In the sixteenth year of the Jiajing era (1537), a severe famine struck Quanzhou, and the inspector Li Yuanyang requested Huang Wei, Xu Fu, and Yu Dayou to carry out disaster relief efforts. Huang Wei tirelessly dedicated himself to this work, eventually succumbing to illness and passing away on March 17 of the following year. His tomb was built in the seventeenth year of the Jiajing era (1538) and is located on the north slope of Mount Taiwu, in the Doumen Reconstruction Area, situated between the villages of Houshuitou and Doumen. The tomb’s shape resembles a bird with wings spread, referred to as "Fei Ya Luo Tian," and it has a commanding presence. In front of the tomb, two streams, Doumen Creek and Jinsha Creek, flow gently from either side and converge not far from the tomb site, which is backed by Mount Taiwu and faces the various peaks of the Fujian coast, at that time considered one of the four major feng shui sites in Kinmen. The majority of the tomb mound is located at the back, whereas Huang Wei's tomb features a protective wall at the rear. The mound is composed of two layers; the bottom layer is carved from a single block of stone, with the middle portion protruding in a口 shape, and the upper layer is capped with raised stone blocks resembling overturned bowls, commonly referred to in Kinmen as the "official seal style" tomb "tortoise." On either side of the front end of the mound, there are stone barriers with relief carvings, with the highest protective wall at the back of the entire cemetery. Descending two steps from the central point of the tomb leads to a tomb table, its front featuring three sections separated by relief carvings of bamboo segments, with a celestial being holding a fan in the center, accompanied by a gazing deer and crane, symbolizing blessings, wealth, and longevity. The sides are decorated with reliefs of koi fish leaping over the dragon gate and phoenix patterns. Extending out from both sides of the tomb table are layers of raised extensions leading to two tomb handles, with the space between the second handles serving as a ritual area. The inner sides of the third tomb handles each have a stone bench for descendants to rest during rituals; this feature is rare for his tomb. In front of the tomb are pairs of stone horses, stone tigers, and stone columns, although the columns are no longer present due to decay. Not far from the northeast of the tomb, by the Jinsha Creek, lies a fallen stone tablet. The upper half of the inscription has worn away, but the lower half is still clear and finely crafted, detailing Huang Wei's life and deeds. The end of the inscription credits Jin Gui Xiang, one of Huang Wei's former students who was promoted while he was governor of Songjiang and had visited Kinmen multiple times. This tablet originally had a protective pavilion, which has unfortunately been destroyed. The path leading to the tomb originally featured a tablet placed by the ancient road in Doumen village, but after land realignment in 1987, it is no longer at the roadside and has gradually been obscured by bushes. The tablet's header is inscribed with the characters "Ming Dynasty," and the inscription reads, "The tomb path of Huang Gong, a middle-ranking minister who served as governor of Songjiang Prefecture, and his wife, Chen," representing the design of a fourth-grade official's tomb from the Ming dynasty, which is unique among the Ming tombs on the entire island.
