Stele of the Song of the Great Wind

Stele of the Song of the Great Wind

The Stele of the Song of the Great Wind is a cultural relic protected at the provincial level in Jiangsu Province.

The Stele of the Song of the Great Wind is located in Pei County, Jiangsu Province.

Within the Pei County Cultural Center, there is an elegant and classic courtyard that houses the Songfeng Terrace. It preserves a highly precious Han Dynasty stone stele inscribed with the “Song of the Great Wind.” The stele is over 11 Chinese feet tall and 4 feet 4 inches wide. Its inscription, written in large seal script, features powerful strokes, balanced composition, a grand style, and beautiful character forms. According to records in the Pei County Annals and the Xuzhou Prefecture Annals, the calligraphy is attributed to Cai Yong of the Eastern Han Dynasty (though some say it was Cao Xi), while modern scholar Feng Biwu argues it dates back to the Western Han Dynasty.

Originally located in the courtyard of the Pei County Cultural Center, the Stele of the Song of the Great Wind was later moved to the Songfeng Terrace at the Pei County Museum. In February 1982, the Jiangsu Provincial People's Government designated both the Songfeng Terrace and the Stele of the Song of the Great Wind as provincially protected cultural relics. Currently, there are three steles housed in the Pei County Museum: one from the Han Dynasty, one from the Yuan Dynasty, and one known as the Jiazi Stele.

The Stele of the Song of the Great Wind features an overall balanced structure, powerful brushwork, a majestic style, and graceful characters, making it a treasured piece of ancient stele carving art. However, the identity of the calligrapher remains undetermined to this day. The Pei County Annals and the Xuzhou Prefecture Annals attribute the calligraphy to Cai Yong or Cao Xi of the Eastern Han Dynasty, while modern scholar Feng Yiwu believes it was done by the Western Han literary figure Ai Li. Though opinions differ, all agree that it is a masterpiece of Chinese calligraphy.

Further Reading:

· First and Second Batches of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units