Shen Kuo's Tomb, Hangzhou, Zhejiang

In 1095, Shen Kuo died in Runzhou (now Zhenjiang, Jiangsu) and was buried at the foot of Taiping Mountain in Xixia Village, Anxi, Qiantang (now Liangzhu Town, Yuhang District, Hangzhou). His tomb is located at the southern foot of Taiping Mountain in Xixiawan, Anxi, Yuhang District, Hangzhou, with Jinlong Mountain to the east and Phoenix Mountain to the west. Shen Kuo's tomb was destroyed in the early years. According to the Ming Dynasty Wanli edition of the Qiantang County Annals, local oral tradition, and clues provided by the academic community, the tomb and stone statues were finally found in 1983 at the southern foot of Taiping Mountain in Anxi. Under the brick layer of the tomb, fragments of Northern Song Dynasty celadon bowls and several ancient coins with the reign titles of "Yuanfeng" and "Yuanyou" from the Song Dynasty were found, which matched the era and location of the tomb. Finally, the tomb was restored to its original appearance in 2008 with government funding. It is a key cultural relic in Hangzhou. Shen Kuo (1031–1095), courtesy name Cunzhong, was a scientist and reformer of the Northern Song Dynasty from Qiantang (now Hangzhou, Zhejiang). He was proficient in astronomy, mathematics, physics, chemistry, geology, meteorology, geography, agriculture, and medicine. He was also an outstanding engineer and diplomat, and one of the most outstanding scientists in Chinese history. In 1082, he was appointed as a scholar of the Longtu Pavilion, and was a colleague of Su Shi, Sima Guang, and Wang Anshi. In his later years, he was demoted and lived in seclusion in Runzhou (now Zhenjiang). Because he missed his hometown of Tiaoxi day and night, he named his residence "Mengxi Garden" and named the scientific masterpiece he wrote there "Mengxi Bitan" after his lifelong experiences. Shen Kuo was erudite and talented, with profound research and outstanding achievements in astronomy, mathematics, calendar, geography, physics, biology, medicine, literature, history, music, and art. He also left behind works such as "Changxing Collection" and "Shen Su Liang Fang." "Mengxi Bitan" is a scientific masterpiece of ancient China, praised by Dr. Joseph Needham, a professor at the University of Cambridge, as a "landmark in the history of Chinese science."