The Cultured Marquis of Haihun
In the tomb chambers of the Marquis of Haihun, multiple lacquered screen components were unearthed. After reassembly, figures and clerical-script inscriptions such as “Confucius,” “Yan Hui,” and “Shuliang He” — all related to the life of Confucius — could be seen. Experts note this may be the earliest known portrait of Confucius yet discovered in China.
Among the finds from Liu He’s tomb is a bronze mirror featuring a screen-like scene of Confucius with several disciples. One identified figure is Tantai Mieming (courtesy name Ziyu), a disciple who, according to tradition, studied with Confucius in the Yuzhang region. Because of his plain looks, he was not initially favored by Confucius and was sent to teach in the relatively remote south. Relying on perseverance and resolve, Tantai Mieming helped Confucianism flourish across the south. When Confucius later heard of his achievements, he sighed: “Judging by appearance, I misjudged Ziyu.”
Over 5,000 bamboo and wooden slips and tablets were unearthed: around 200 wooden tablets — including tally-like tags and memorial drafts — and roughly 5,000 bamboo slips. Their contents include works such as “Ode on Mourning the Dead,” the Analects, the Book of Changes, the Book of Rites, the Classic of Filial Piety, medical texts, and more. These texts, preserved for over two millennia, shed fresh light on Han-dynasty history, culture, arts, and science and are of immeasurable research value. In particular, the more than five thousand bamboo slips record a vast quantity of information and rich content. According to Han burial custom — “serving the dead as the living” — these would have been books Liu He loved in life, interred with him in death.
The most important of these texts is the Analects. In antiquity there were three versions: the Ancient Analects, the Lu Analects, and the Qi Analects. The Analects we read today are based on a synthesis of the Lu and Ancient versions; the Qi Analects, however, were lost by the Han–Wei period. The distinctive feature of the Qi Analects is that they contained two additional chapters: “Knowing the Way” (Zhidao Pian) and “Questioning the King” (Wenwang Pian). Because the “Knowing the Way” chapter was discovered in Liu He’s tomb, there is strong reason to believe these slips represent the long-lost Qi Analects — a discovery of global academic significance and truly beyond price.
The tomb also yielded draft memorials written by Liu He to the reigning emperor, Emperor Xuan (Liu Xun), containing exceptionally rich information of great value for the study of Han history, economy, politics, and culture.
Published at: Sep 9, 2025 · Modified at: Sep 10, 2025
