yámù en

Cliff tombs are one of the many burial forms in traditional China. They are excavated from the hillsides and cliffs near rivers and are generally located within the Sichuan Basin in southwest China, including in Sichuan, Chongqing, and Guizhou provinces. A cliff tomb usually contains a tomb passage, a tomb door, a front chamber and one or more side halls and burial chambers. Some cliff tombs are furnished with carved stone coffins, stoves, and niches, which are architecturally integrated into the caves. Some tombs also have architectural elements resembling timber buildings and walls decorated with carved images. The burial objects are largely the same as those found in brick or stone chamber tombs from the same period (Luo 1988, Fan 2006). However, the distinction between these cliff tombs and cliff burials in more central and eastern areas of China has not been given enough academic attention.5 Cliff tombs are one of the many burial forms in traditional China. They are excavated from the hillsides and cliffs near rivers and are generally located within the Sichuan Basin in southwest China, including in Sichuan, Chongqing, and Guizhou provinces. A cliff tomb usually contains a tomb passage, a tomb door, a front chamber and one or more side halls and burial chambers. Some cliff tombs are furnished with carved stone coffins, stoves, and niches, which are architecturally integrated into the caves. Some tombs also have architectural elements resembling timber buildings and walls decorated with carved images. The burial objects are largely the same as those found in brick or stone chamber tombs from the same period (Luo 1988, Fan 2006). However, the distinction between these cliff tombs and cliff burials in more central and eastern areas of China has not been given enough academic attention.5