The Stele of the Three Worthies of Baixiang

The Stele of the Three Worthies of Baixiang

The Stele of the Three Worthies of Baixiang is a cultural tourism attraction.

Zhao Mengfu was an outstanding painter and calligrapher of China’s Yuan Dynasty, a figure of remarkable achievement and profound influence in the history of ancient art. He drew inspiration from nature, broke free from conventions, and absorbed diverse styles. He was proficient in seal, clerical, running, and regular scripts, wielding the brush with ease. Particularly in running and regular scripts, he surpassed the Four Masters of the Northern Song—Mi Fu, Huang Tingjian, Cai Xiang, and Su Shi—and directly connected with the styles of the Jin and Tang dynasties. He admired the "Two Wangs," and his brushstrokes were both tight and free, elegant and unrestrained. His small regular script could span tens of thousands of characters while maintaining consistency from beginning to end, refined like stars in the sky. His large regular script carried the bone structure of Yan Zhenqing and the style of Liu Gongquan—vigorous, graceful, dignified, and lively—completely transforming the dominance of the "calligraphy etiquette style" that had prevailed since the Song Dynasty. His beautiful yet vigorous charm almost single-handedly shaped the calligraphic trends of an era. He is revered by later generations as the progenitor of the "Zhao style."

The three surviving steles inscribed by Zhao in Baixiang were all created when he was between 61 and 64 years old. The first is the “Stele of the Virtuous Widow Madam Jia,” the second is the “Stele of the Chastity Hall,” and the third is the “Stele of the Virtuous Governance of Magistrate Zhang of Baixiang.” The first two were completed in March of the second year of the Yanyou era. Both are written in upright regular script, with bold and unrestrained brushwork, stable structure, dignified character forms, and smooth charm, like lotus flowers emerging from water, standing tall and graceful. They are a feast for the eyes, demonstrating profound artistic skill. The stele stands 360 cm tall, 100 cm wide, and 40 cm thick, with a tortoise pedestal and coiled dragon head. The stele top features Zhao’s seal script inscription “Stele of the Virtuous Widow Madam Jia.” This stele was severely damaged during the Cultural Revolution but is now listed as a provincial-level key cultural relic protection unit.

The “Stele of Virtuous Governance” features a unique technique blending regular and running scripts. Its brushwork is round and smooth, its style simple and unadorned, excelling in softness. This stele also has a coiled dragon head, with Zhao’s seal script inscription “Stele of the Virtuous Governance of Magistrate Zhang of Baixiang” at the top, though the lower part is missing. The stele is 240 cm tall, 100 cm wide, and 40 cm thick.

How did such a small county as Baixiang come to possess three masterpieces by Zhao? Reading the inscriptions reveals that during the Yanyou era, Jia Tingrui, the prefect of Yangzhou Road, lost his father at a young age. His mother, Madam Hua, remained widowed in her youth, raising her son with frugality and diligence and nurturing him to success. After Madam Hua passed away, Jia Tingrui invited Zhao Mengfu to inscribe the text and Yang Zai to compose the eulogy, resulting in the “Stele of the Virtuous Widow Madam Jia,” which was erected in front of the tomb. The “Stele of the Chastity Hall” was placed in the family shrine. The “Stele of the Virtuous Governance of Magistrate Zhang” was composed by Yuan Mingshan to praise the achievements of Baixiang’s magistrate Zhang Ji and was erected in the ancient city of Gao.