Zu Dashou (died 1656) was a general of the late
Ming dynasty whose bravery as a defender of the dynasty against the
Manchus earned him an esteemed place in Chinese history. In 1631, the general gave the enemy army one of his loyal sons as a hostage in hopes to speed up negotiations and relieve the people of
Dalinghe of constant warfare. By the time the Ming dynasty fell in 1644, Zu Dashou and a number of his sons had switched loyalties and served the new
Qing dynasty. In 1656, the general died and construction on his tomb began. The scale of the tomb is an indication of the respect and esteem General Zu held even amongst his former enemies. In the early 20th century,
Charles T. Currelly, the managing director of the museum at the time, was offered a chance to purchase a number of Chinese artifacts George Crofts, a wealthy British merchant who was trading in the Chinese fur business, sought for and collected. In 1921, Today, the altar, stone burial mound, archway and other artifacts are arranged to replicate the burial area as it was found in Yongtai Village (near Beijing) in 1919. Other tombs in the complex suggest that this tomb was part of a family burial plot, as a number of his sons were buried nearby. ==Imagery==