Lei Cheng Uk Tomb exposed fortune of the Han dynasty
The museum and garden of the Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb provide a living history lesson
Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb
Lei Cheng Uk is the only Han-era tomb discovered in Hong Kong
Located in the Sham Shui Po district of Kowloon, you can step into the past and visit the Lei Cheng Uk Han tomb. It is the only Han-era tomb discovered in Hong Kong.
High-rise residential buildings surround the landmark Lei Cheng Uk Han Garden
Although the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 AD) ended almost two thousand years ago, the Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb museum lets you step back in time.
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The museum offers a journey into the past, along with its adjacent Lei Cheng Uk Han Garden.
A covered walkway wends around an artificial pond at the landmark Lei Cheng Uk Han Garden
This lovely place takes style cues from the Han period, with sculptural pieces, artfully placed foliage, and pagodas for the public to rest and relax.
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Surprisingly, a wonderful accident in August 1955 led to the discovery of the historic Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb.
Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb is a cross-shaped brick structure
As part of the city’s land reclamation projects, construction workers were levelling a slope at the Lei Cheng Uk village, where resettlement buildings were to be located.
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When the site was unearthed, all construction work stopped. Supervised by the former head of the Chinese Department at the University of Hong Kong, Professor Frederick Sequier Drake, members of HKU and staff of the Public Works Department excavated the site.
Lei Cheng Uk Han Garden
Undeniably, this was not only exciting to the academic circles, but the public was also eager to visit this newfound piece of local history.
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Therefore, in 1957, the tomb – and its accompanying exhibition hall – was open to the public.
The museum provides free entry for visitors
Originally intended to be open for ten days before being levelled, the site was decried by local citizens as a loss of cultural history.
Rock sculptures at Lei Cheng Uk Han Garden
Subsequently, the government heeded public opinion, and the tomb was preserved and stands to this day, allowing visitors to explore the history of the period and view the objects found within.
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Notably, an exploration of the tomb these days will involve more time in the exhibition hall than in the tomb itself. The tomb had been protected by concrete, waterproofing layers, topsoil and turf.
Fish pond feature at Lei Cheng Uk Han Garden
Structural issues caused by rainwater leakage necessitated a renovation project, completed in 2005, that included building a wide white canopy to cover the tomb.
Declared a gazetted monument in 1988, the tomb was closed to the public and sealed in a temperature- and humidity-controlled environment. But visitors can still immerse themselves in the architecture and history.
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Within the exhibition hall, you’ll find a few different ways to learn about the tomb. In the middle stands a precise 1:1 model of the tomb, offering an aerial view of the cross-shaped, four-chambered structure.
Tomb filled with artefacts but empty of corpses
Most interesting are its dome vault, constructed by laying bricks in a spiral, and the inscriptions found on the exposed sides of some bricks. Found were designs including a dragon motif and several geometric patterns.
Wall relief depicting horses and chariots at the Lei Cheng Uk Han Garden
These intricate details can be explored on a desktop monitor set to a virtual tour of the space.
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Inscriptions found inside the tomb utilised both the clerical script Ishu, which was prevalent in the Han Dynasty, and Punyu, the script used by people from Punyu County in Nanhai Prefecture (modern-day Guangzhou).
Stone Dragon at the Lei Cheng Uk Han Garden
Historians believe that the rear chamber of the funerary is the coffin chamber, that the two side chambers were used for storage, and that ritual ceremonies were performed in the front chamber under the winding, domed roof.
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Though many Han-era artefacts were discovered in these barrel-vaulted chambers, mysteriously, the tomb contained no bodies.
Pottery pots found at Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb
The architectural design of the tomb showed great similarities to other Han tombs found in southern China.
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The nail in the coffin that set the tomb’s date lay inside the tomb. Excavators found pottery and bronze wares designed in the same style as contemporary pieces that circulated throughout and beyond China through the country’s burgeoning trade.
Pottery ding tripod with cover in yellowish-green glaze found at Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb
In fact, fifty-eight pieces were found inside the funerary. Most of these objects centred around food, cooking utensils, food containers and bowls, along with models, basins, mirrors and bronze bells.
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During the Han Dynasty, eating was governed by rigid social protocols. The general population ate from vessels made of pottery, bamboo, or wood.
Pottery wine warmer
Whereas, wealthy families showed their elevated status by eating from bronze, jade and lacquer vessels.
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The inclusion of models – miniature versions of a granary, house, well and stove – was another indicator of social status.
Pottery model of a house found at Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb
Feudal landlords would order them as a reflection of the development and power in the agricultural industry.
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When it was constructed, the area surrounding the tomb looked very different from what it is today.
The garden of the Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb
The sea, almost 2,000 metres away from the tomb, used to be right beside it, as the funerary complex overlooked the seashore.
The garden is a tranquil place for rest and reflection
Unlike in the era when the tomb was built, high-rise residential buildings now surround the landmark.
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Even so, the tomb doesn’t stand alone and is supported by a charming garden providing a welcome green space among the dizzying towers of modern urbanisation.
Lei Cheng Uk is located in the Sham Shui Po district of Kowloon
Completed in December 1993, the Lei Cheng Uk Han Garden features Han dynasty styles.
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Along with pavilions, terraces, towers, and fishponds, rock sculptures come together to create a curated, peaceful atmosphere. A raised platform provides ample space for tai chi or similar exercises.
Arched entryway at the Lei Cheng Uk Han Garden
Furthermore, a covered walkway wends around the pond, leading you past benches where young and old take a respite from the sun.
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And the path leads towards a pavilion set in a stunning recreation of an ancient Chinese pleasure boat, with a hip roof and a fierce dragon at the mast.
A stone lion turtle
Across the pond, a stone lion turtle raises its head to acknowledge the dragon, whose design and construction make the legendary creature always look as if it’s about to set sail towards the turtle, but never truly goes anywhere.
Xiangqi, also known as Chinese chess
Right beside the tomb, you’ll find a wide courtyard designed like a Xiangqi board.
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Also known as Chinese chess, the two-player game is highly tactical and borrows military terms such as general and soldier, affixing them to pieces that hold relative power within the game.
A life-sized Xiangqi game board
Bougainvillaea, a broad-leafed ficus, and camellia japonica are among the many flowers and plants that decorate the garden.
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Occupying an area of almost 1,500 metres, it was endearing to see so many visitors make use of the space – whether it be for tai chi, an afternoon nap, or a rousing game of Chinese chess.
Covered walkways at the Lei Cheng Uk Han Garden
With so much concrete utilised in its construction, the development of the park concerned itself less with period accuracy and more with capturing the spirit of the times.
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Indeed, this has been done brilliantly, providing an authentic look and feel for this urban oasis.
Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb Museum
Sites like the Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb and Garden show that history is not limited to endless facts within textbooks.
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Instead, history is alive and present in this museum dedicated to telling the story of the lives of inhabitants in the Eastern Han period.
Text & Photos Victoria Mae Martyn
