Tomb of NiE in Western Hills, Kunming
The Tomb of NiE is located in a gently sloping area between Taihua Temple (太华寺) and Longmen (龙门) in the Western Hills (西山) of Kunming (昆明), Yunnan Province (云南省). It covers an area of approximately 1,200 square meters and was relocated to this site in 1980.
The layout of the tomb is designed to resemble a moon lute, with the platform representing the body of the lute and the tomb positioned at the head. The tomb pit is constructed from stone slabs and has two levels, approximately 1 meter deep. The Tomb of NiE reflects the admiration and remembrance from people of various ethnicities and backgrounds in China and international friends, providing a beautiful space that merges with the surroundings for those who come to pay their respects.
On January 13, 1988, the Tomb of NiE was announced as a key national cultural relic protection unit by the State Council of the People’s Republic of China.
Location Information
- Geographical Location: Kunming (昆明), Yunnan Province (云南省)
- Established: 1980
- Area: Approximately 1,200 m²
- Protection Level: Third batch of national key cultural relic protection units
- Approving Authority: State Council of the People’s Republic of China
- Number: 3-0041-1-041
Historical Background
On October 1, 1937, NiE’s ashes were interred at the foot of the Western Hills in Kunming. His mother and family, along with cultural figures such as Chu Tunan (楚图南), Xu Jiarui (徐嘉瑞), Zheng Yizhai (郑一斋), and Lin Zhiyin (林志音), attended the burial ceremony. Xu Jiarui wrote the tomb’s name and inscription titled “The Tomb of the Epoch-Making Musician NiE.”
In February 1954, the Yunnan Provincial Cultural Bureau conducted a renovation of the tomb, adopting an inscription written by Guo Moruo (郭沫若) and changing the wording on the tombstone from “The Tomb of the Epoch-Making Music Composer NiE” to “The Tomb of the People’s Musician NiE.”
In March 1973, the Kunming Municipal Party Committee decided to relocate the tomb to a gently sloping area above the parking lot between Taihua Temple and Longmen. The relocation ceremony took place on May 13, 1980. The tomb underwent renovations and environmental improvements in 1985, 1992, and 2005.
Site Features
The design of the Tomb of NiE resembles a moon lute, with the platform acting as the lute’s body and the tomb positioned at the head. The tomb pit is built with stone slabs and features two levels, about 1 meter deep. The urn containing his ashes is placed on a circular base, with a three-tiered square stone platform underneath. On this platform rests a black stone tombstone. The front of the tombstone reads “The Tomb of the People’s Musician NiE,” while the back bears the epitaph written by Guo Moruo. In front of the tombstone is a high-relief white marble wreath of mountain camellias, inscribed with NiE’s birth and death years. The twenty-four stone steps leading to the tomb symbolize the twenty-four years of NiE’s life.
Cultural Relics
Statue of NiE
The statue of NiE is located in front of the tomb. It is a round sculpture made of white marble, standing 3.2 meters tall and weighing 3.7 tons, depicting him in a contemplative pose.
Screen Wall
The screen wall is situated behind the tomb of NiE, measuring 45 meters in length and slightly arched. The center features a high relief representing the heroic struggle of Chinese military and civilians during the war. The upper sides depict the Great Wall stretching across the sky, while the lower left showcases scenes of various Chinese ethnic groups singing the “March of the Volunteers” (《义勇军进行曲》).
Historical and Cultural Significance
Related Figures
- Burial Subject: NiE (聂耳)
- Biography: NiE (February 15, 1912 – July 17, 1935), originally named Nie Shouxin (聂守信), was born in Kunming (昆明), Yunnan Province (云南), and his ancestral home is in Yuxi (玉溪). In 1933, he joined the Communist Party of China (中国共产党). In the following three years, NiE composed several progressive songs, including “Spring Dawn at Cuihu” (《翠湖春晓》), “Graduation Song” (《毕业歌》), and “Pioneer” (《开路先锋》), earning him the title of “Pioneer of Chinese Revolutionary Music.” In February 1935, NiE composed the music for “March of the Volunteers” (《义勇军进行曲》) based on lyrics written by Tian Han (田汉) for the film “Children of the Storm” (《风云儿女》). During the lyric-writing process, Tian Han was imprisoned by Kuomintang agents. Hearing this, NiE voluntarily took on the task of composing the music and completed it after witnessing Japanese militarists advocating for “expanding China’s interests” while in Japan. Tragically, he drowned on July 17, 1935, at the age of 23 while swimming at the shore of the sea in Kanagawa Prefecture (神奈川县), Japan. In August 1935, his ashes and belongings were escorted back to Shanghai by his friends Zhang Tianxu (张天虚) and Zheng Ziping (郑子平). In 1936, NiE’s elder brother, Nie Xulun (聂叙伦), brought his ashes back to Kunming.
Literary Works
Epitaph of NiE Written by Guo Moruo (郭沫若) “Comrade NiE, the horn of the Chinese revolution, is also the drum of the people’s liberation. The music he composed for ‘March of the Volunteers’ has been selected as the national anthem. Those who hear its sound cannot help but feel a surge of patriotic thoughts, solemn and noble aspirations, and a united spirit. NiE, may your legacy endure forever alongside the nation! Comrade NiE, a member of the Communist Party of China, was born on February 14, 1912, in the beautiful Kunming, and tragically drowned on July 17, 1935, at the beach of Kanagawa, at the tender age of twenty-four. His death in an enemy country is an eternal regret, and the circumstances of his drowning remain unknown!”
Poem about NiE’s Tomb By Huang Zhaobi (黄兆碧) “The tomb stands serene beneath the everlasting sun,
Gentle breezes through the flowers and trees abound.
A lone hero’s spirit wanders without rest,
A young man’s heart, a sword of isolation, profound.
Questions of the cold depths, where tempests have blown,
Singing freely in verses long or short, profound.
Today the national anthem is sung with pride,
A glorious sound that resonates all around.”
Cultural Preservation
On January 13, 1988, the Tomb of NiE was listed as a third batch national key cultural relic protection unit by the State Council of the People’s Republic of China.
Travel Information
Location
The Tomb of NiE is located in a gently sloping area between Taihua Temple (太华寺) and Longmen (龙门) in the Western Hills of Kunming (昆明), Yunnan Province (云南省).
Transportation Information
Bus Routes:
- Take Metro Line 3 to Xishan Park Station and then transfer to the Western Hills scenic area shuttle bus to the final stop.
- Take buses 6, 51, or 94 to Gaoyao Station and then transfer to the Western Hills scenic area shuttle bus to the final stop.
Alternatively, take bus 183 in Kunming and get off at the Haigeng Tourist Cableway Station, then walk 4.0 kilometers to the tomb.
