The Eight Dragon Tombs are the tombs of Marquis Xiang Shu of Langling in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, and Xun Shu has eight sons, namely Xun Jian, Xun Qi, Xun Jing, Xun Tao, Xun Jie, Xun Shuang, Xun Su, and Xun Xu, all of whom were famous scholars in the late Eastern Han Dynasty and the Wei Period, known as the Eight Dragons. Legend has it that after Xun Shu's death, the eight sons planted a cypress plant on the top of their mound, so it was called the Eight Dragon Tomb.
The mound is more than ten meters high, and it can be walked along the brick staircase to the top of the mound, which is surrounded by a circle of red bricks, and there is a small temple on the platform. There are six cypress trees scattered around the temple, originally eight, and now one has fallen to the ground, leaving only dry trunks, and one tree with only stumps. These cypress trees have a history of more than 1,800 years.
Gu Shiyun: "The Xun clan's court is full of energy, and Gao Yang's talent follows fang' traces." The thousand-year-old immortal ear, Ma Mane He was once an eight-dragon. There is also a descendant who wrote the "Xijiuli Poem": "Gaoyang Caizi Balongsheng, Xun's Xihao old name." Hundreds of sages are celestial, and the stars of Qianqiu Yingshui are bright. Cherry with rain village ripe, bamboo trees facing the wind face clear. Idle clouds and flowers overlook the countryside, and birdsong in the shade. "Historical records record that during the Wei and Jin dynasties, the Xun clan was a Central Plains Wang clan, a scholarly and fragrant mendi, a family of officials and eunuchs, and talents.
Xun Shu (83–149), courtesy name Jihe, was a native of Yingyin, Eastern Han Dynasty (present-day Xuchang, Henan). Erudite and not good at chapters. He is upright and square, and uses countermeasures to ridicule the powerful. Emperor Huan of Han was the Marquis of Langling at the time, with high moral character, erudition and reasoning, and was known as the "Divine King". Zhong Hao, Han Shao, Chen Yu, etc., who were in the same county as the same dynasty, were all famous for their high and virtuous deeds, and were collectively known as the "Four Chiefs of Yingchuan".
Xun Shuang (荀爽), also spelled Ciming, was Xun Yu's uncle, xun shuang was the sixth of the "Eight Dragons of the Xun Clan", and if he was able to learn, he was the first. At that time, there was a praise for "Xun's Eight Dragons, Ciming Peerless". From an early age, he was intelligent and studious, immersed in the scriptures, and diligent and diligent. In the ninth year (166) of the Reign of Emperor Huan of Han, Zhao Dian of Taichang raised Xun Shuang to filial piety, bailangzhong, and after playing his opinion on the countermeasures, he abandoned the official and left. In order to avoid the scourge of the party, he hid on the Han Riverside for more than ten years, specializing in writing, and successively wrote "Li", "Yi Chuan", "Poetry Biography", "Shang Shu Zheng", "Spring and Autumn Regulations", "Chinese", "New Book" and so on, with the title of Shuo Ru. The party was lifted, and Sikong Yuan Feng recommended Xun Shuang as an official. When Emperor Xian ascended the throne, Xun Shuang avoided it and became a plain phase. He traveled to Wanling (present-day Xuancheng, Anhui) and posthumously honored him as Guanglu Xun. After three days in office, he moved to Sikong again. Xun Shuang saw Dong Zhuo's cruelty and participated in Situ Wang Yun's plot to eliminate Dong Zhuo's righteous deeds, and he was ill beforehand.
Xun Shuang
Xun Yu (163-212), literally. Xun Yu was initially a subordinate of Yuan Shao, and because he saw that it was difficult to achieve great things, he took his nephew Xun You to Cao Cao and was reused by Cao Cao, and was called "Fang Ye, the son of wu". Xun Yu made many important strategic plans for Cao Cao, such as using Yanzhou as a base, the two tigers competing for food and driving the tigers to swallow wolves, welcoming the Han Emperor to Xudu, and opening Xuanwu Lake to train the water army, etc., and made great contributions. Xun Yu later served as a Han servant and Shang Shuling, participating in major state affairs and often staying in Xu Du. Xun Yu enlightened Cao Cao with the theory of four victories and four defeats, which made him finally determined to resist Yuan. The Battle of Guandu's planning for the supply of grain and grass and the reply to the letter strengthened Cao Cao's will, which was Xun Yu's plan. When Dong Zhao persuaded Cao Cao to call cao the Duke of Wei, Xun Yu objected, but Cao Cao was deeply dissatisfied, so he recruited him into the army and enlisted Sun Quan. Xun Yu remained in Shouchun due to illness, and soon committed suicide by taking poison at the suggestion of Cao Cao.
Xun You (157-214) was a nephew of Xun Yu. One of Cao Cao's important advisers. Xun You served as a waiter at the Yellow Gate during He Jin's reign, and when Dong Zhuo entered Beijing, he was imprisoned for plotting to assassinate Dong Zhuo, and then abandoned his official and returned home. After Cao Cao welcomed Tianzi into Xu Capital, Xun You served as the Taishou of Jinan, and also served as Shang Shuling, and was also a military master of Cao Cao. When Cao Cao conquered Lü Bu, Xun You and Guo Jia plotted to capture Lü Bu alive. During the pacification of Hebei, Xun Youli defied public opinion and advocated that Cao Cao eliminate Yuan Shao's sons, and was made the Marquis of Lingshuting by Cao Cao's court. In the twelfth year of Jian'an (207 AD), he served as a Chinese military division, and after the establishment of the State of Wei, he served as Shang Shuling. Xun You acted carefully and cautiously, and was full of scheming, which was highly praised by Cao Cao. In the nineteenth year of Jian'an (214 AD), Xun You died on Cao Cao's Wu Road. In the first year of the reign, he was posthumously honored as the Marquis of Jinghou.
Xun You
At present, Xuchang City has built the largest Xunlin Park relying on the Eight Dragon Tombs, which occupies more than 170 meters on the ground, and is composed of "two axes and one ring" as a whole: "two axes" are the north-south historical cultural axis and the east-west urban landscape axis: "One ring" refers to the circular trail built around the park, connecting the various scenic spots in the gongzhong.
An old man who has lived next to the "home" for more than half a century and accompanies the "Eight Dragon Cypress" every day said that the cypress trees on the "Eight Dragons" tomb a few decades ago were much more lush than they are now, and those big cypress trees had wind, some like lions, some like tigers, but they looked good, and their crowns were huddled together according to the leaves, and they covered the "Eight Dragon Tombs" like large umbrellas. People stand under trees, the sun is barely visible on sunny days, and the rain does not rain on them when it rains.
Listening to the old people in the village, the "Eight Dragon Tombs" used to be much larger and taller than they are now, and there were 8 more in the west (for the tomb of Xun Shu's Eight Sons), but due to the wind and rain in the depths of the year, the current "Eight Dragons" are about 5 meters high and about 100 meters in circumference, and the surrounding scattered tombs are gone.
The "Eight Dragon Tombs" and "Eight Dragon Cypresses" are all monuments left by old ancestors and should be preserved for generations to come.
The historical and cultural axis of Xun's Park now refers to the landscape belt from the entrance of Chenzhuang Street to the "Eight Dragon Tomb". The axis road is paved with bluestone, 8 meters wide, flanked by flower ponds and various landscape trees, and a sculpture of Xun Shu was built on the entrance square of Chenzhuang Street, which is 6 meters high and has an iconic role. An octagonal square was built around the "Eight Dragon Tombs", symbolizing the eight dragons surrounding it. In order to protect the mound, a 90 cm high white jade fence is installed on the retaining wall of the mound with a height of 90 cm. Along the body planted 1 meter wide small dragon cypress, the entire "Eight Dragon Tomb" reserve in the four directions, but also arranged green bird, Xuanwu 4 bronze sculptures.
Today's park, planted a large number of purple weed, clove, cherry blossoms, wax plum and other flower seedlings, this large area of lawn. Strolling through the park, you will be greeted by a strong cultural atmosphere and beautiful and pleasant scenery.