Xiaotang Mountain Han Shrine
building in the People's Republic of China
The Xiaotang Mountain Han Shrine (Chinese: 孝堂山汉墓祠; pinyin: Xiàotáng Shān Hàn Mù Cí) also known as the Guo Family Ancestral Hall (Chinese: 孝堂山郭氏墓石祠; pinyin: Xiàotángshān Guō Shì Mù Shí Cí, literally "Xiaotang Mountain Guo Family Tomb Stone Ancestral Hall") is a funerary stone shrine from the early Eastern Han dynasty (25–220 AD) situated on slopes of the Yellow River valley in the western part of Shandong Province, China. It is the only known offering shrine from this period known to be still standing in its original form. The Xiaotang Mountain Shrine has been identified with as the Guo family shrine by some studies, linking it to the story of Guo Ju, the 13th of the Confucian Twenty-four Filial Exemplars.
History
Funerary shrines have been built on top of the tombs of members of the upper nobility and feudal lords since the Warring States period (475–221 BC). Erecting such shrines as well as monumental towers became popular during the times of the Han dynasty (207 BC – 220 AD) and in particular in the era of the Eastern Han dynasty (25–220 AD). The Xiaotang Mountain Han Shrine dates to the early Eastern Han dynasty, but the exact date remains unknown. Historical inscriptions that were added to the shrine suggest that it dates back before the year 129 AD (the 4th year of the reign of the Eastern Han Emperor Shun of Han), to which the earliest inscription on the shrine is dated. The second oldest inscription date is the year when Emperor Huan of Han of the Eastern Han changed his era name to "Yongkang" (Chinese: 永康; pinyin: Yǒngkāng, in 167 AD). The shrine is mentioned in the Commentary to the River Classic by the Northern Wei dynasty scholar Li Daoyuan (died 527 AD). The shrine is also recorded in the Catalogue of Inscriptions on Stone and Bone by Zhao Mingcheng (1081–1129 AD), a scholar-official and epigraphist in the Song dynasty also known for being the husband to poet Li Qingzhao.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Xiaotang Mountain Han Shrine” as building in the People's Republic of China. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the places & architecture register because the source frames it as building in the People's Republic of China. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Dec 7, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q8044297. Authority coordinates are 36.398, 116.602. None of the 2 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1081 and 1129.
Architectural summaries often privilege surviving fabric and can understate demolished phases, contested use or displaced communities. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Xiaotang Mountain Han Shrine”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Xiaotang Mountain Han Shrine primary sources, Xiaotang Mountain Han Shrine archive and Xiaotang research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Xiaotang Mountain Han Shrine”?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Xiaotang Mountain Han Shrine” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.