The Tomb of Sultan Paduka Pahala of the Sulu Sultanate (in present-day southern Philippines) is one of the most unusual monuments in China — the only known tomb of a foreign head of state on Chinese soil, maintained continuously for over six hundred years. The sultan died in Dezhou in 1417 while returning from a tributary mission to the Ming court; the Yongle Emperor provided a state funeral and tomb, and descendants of his entourage have lived in Dezhou ever since to care for the site. The tomb was designated a national key cultural relic in 1988.
The burial compound, in Beiying Village about one kilometre north of the old city centre, consists of a gateway, a memorial hall, and three tomb mounds: the sultan's own burial, flanked by the tombs of his wife and a son who also died in Dezhou. The stonework is in the Ming imperial style, with carved animals and stone officials, though on a more modest scale than the great dynastic tombs. The descendants of the sultan's entourage — now surnamed An — still live in the surrounding village and participate in annual memorial ceremonies. Philippine diplomatic delegations attend these ceremonies periodically, making the site an active piece of living heritage diplomacy rather than simply a historical monument.
The tomb is a short taxi ride from Dezhou's main railway station. The site is free to enter.