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Chapter 18
Religious Consciousness
and Beliefs in the Ming
Tombs of Princes and
Royal Family Members in
Hubei Province
Yuan Wenqing
Translated by Luk Yu-ping
Religious Consciousness and Beliefs in the Ming Tombs of Princes and Royal Family Members in Hubei Province | 163
The founder of the Ming dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang 朱元璋
(1328–98), established a system of princely enfeoffment that
aimed to use blood relations to maintain control of the
empire. Royal princes were sent to live away from the
capital, usually in major cities and economically prosperous
areas around China. The Hubei 湖北 region possessed
favourable environmental conditions, a flourishing economy
and rich cultural heritage. Located in the central plains, it
was also an area of political and military importance.
Consequently, it became one of the regions where the largest
number of Ming princes was enfeoffed, and where the most
Ming royal tombs have been discovered and excavated to
date. One of the interesting features of Ming royal tombs
found in Hubei is the diverse religious elements they reveal.
This chapter examines the archaeological finds from several
major Ming royal tombs in the region, focusing on material
that expresses the beliefs and religious inclinations of the
tomb occupants.
Hubei province during the Ming dynasty
Hubei province is located in central China along the middle
section of the Yangtze River. It has long enjoyed fame as a
fertile ‘land of fish and rice’ (Yumi zhi xiang 魚米之鄉) with
developed agricultural and fishing economies. The saying
‘Huguang’s harvest meets the needs of all under Heaven’
(Huguang shou, tianxia zhu 湖廣熟, 天下足) suggests the
richness of this region.
In 1364, Zhu Yuanzhang conquered the Jingxiang 荊湘
region and established the Huguang Branch Secretariat
(Huguang xing zhongshusheng 湖廣行中書省). In 1376, after the
founding of the Ming dynasty, this became the Huguang
Provincial Administrative Commission (Huguang buzheng
shisi 湖廣布政使司), which oversaw an area that included
present-day Hubei and Hunan 湖南 provinces. The territory
that remains part of present-day Hubei includes six
prefectures (fu 府) – Wuchang 武昌, Hanyang 漢陽,
Huangzhou 黃州, De’an 德安 (now Anlu 安陸), Jingzhou
荊州 and Xiangyang 襄陽; two departments (zhou 州)
– Anlu 安陸 (now Zhongxiang 鐘祥) and Mianyang 沔陽; as
well as E’xi 鄂西, where a Military Command of Soldiers
and Civilians of the Shizhou Guard (Shizhou wei junmin zhihui
shisi 施州衛軍民指揮使司) was established. In 1531, Anlu
department became Chengtian 承天 prefecture. The basic
administrative and organisational structure of modern
Hubei was thus formed.
With its prosperous economy and rich culture, Hubei
nurtured many accomplished individuals during the Ming
dynasty. Renowned officials include Yang Pu 楊溥 (1372–
1446), a member of the early Ming Grand Secretariat, and
Zhang Juzheng 張居正 (1525–82), Grand Secretary of the
Wanli 萬曆 reign (1573–1620). The brothers Yuan Zongdao
袁宗道 (1560–1600), Yuan Hongdao 袁宏道 (1568–1610) and
Yuan Zhongdao 袁中道 (1570–1623), as well as Zhong Xing
鐘惺 (1574–1624) and Tan Yuanchun 譚元春 (1586–1637),
were writers who left important marks in the history of
Chinese literature. The ‘sage of medicine’ Li Shizhen
李時珍 (1518–93) was also a native of the province.
In addition, the religious culture of Hubei was well
developed and influential during the Ming dynasty. Mount
Wudang 武當山 at Shiyan 十堰 is a renowned Daoist centre