Hangzhou Stone Tablet Forest

Hangzhou Stone Tablet Forest

The Hangzhou Stone Tablet Forest is a cultural relic protection unit of Zhejiang Province.

The Hangzhou Stone Tablet Forest is located within the Hangzhou Confucius Temple at No. 65 Laodong Road. The Confucius Temple centers around the Dacheng Hall, with the Jimen Gate, Pan Pond, and Lingxing Gate arranged in front, and stele pavilions and stele corridors on both sides. The Stone Tablet Forest houses over 500 stone tablets from the Tang Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty, featuring imperial calligraphy, local historical records, master calligraphers’ model books, carved portraits, hydrological maps, as well as Confucianism, religion, and epitaphs, all possessing high historical, scientific, and artistic value. It was originally the site of the old Hangzhou Confucius Temple. The Forest contains over 500 pieces of tablets, model books, and epitaphs, showcasing stone engravings by master calligraphers from five dynasties from the Five Dynasties period to the Qing Dynasty. The largest collection is the "Stone Classics of the Southern Song Imperial College," of which 86 pieces remain today.

The Hangzhou Confucius Temple (Stone Tablet Forest) was originally the site of the Lin’an Prefectural School of the Southern Song Dynasty, established in the first year of the Shaoxing era (1131). After that, apart from being rebuilt after fires or expanded in scale, the school continued to function as Hangzhou’s official educational institution until the abolition of the imperial examination system in the 31st year of the Guangxu era (1905).

The architectural layout is neat and grand, with an elegant and classic style. It houses over 500 stone tablets from the Tang to the Qing Dynasties, including imperial calligraphy, local historical records, master calligraphers’ model books, portraits, astronomical star charts, hydrological maps, and more. Among them, the most renowned are Emperor Gaozong of Song’s "Stone Classics of the Southern Song," Guanxiu’s "Carved Stones of the Sixteen Arhats," Li Gonglin’s "Carved Stones of Confucius and His Seventy-two Disciples," and the "Five Dynasties Carved Star Chart." In addition, there are engraved works by famous calligraphers throughout history such as Wang Xizhi, Wang Xianzhi, Su Dongpo, Mi Fu, and Zhu Yunming, as well as imperial stelae from the Southern Song and Qing Dynasties. Notably, there is also a collection of historical stelae documenting the construction of water conservancy projects, seawalls, and salt transport in Hangzhou and surrounding towns, providing valuable material for the study of Hangzhou’s water management and economic development. Hence, it is hailed as a “stone library” integrating history, science, and art.

Further Reading:

· First Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Zhejiang Province