Tomb Stele of Zhang Cheng

Tomb Stele of Zhang Cheng

The Tomb Stele of Zhang Cheng is a cultural relic protection unit of Heze City.

Tomb Stele of Zhang Cheng

Erected within the ancestral burial ground of the Zhang family in Baihai Village, Nanluji Town, Chengwu County, the stele features a stone figure (Wengzhong) five meters to its east, with a sacred path and a stone forest gate to the south of the figure. Zhang Cheng was the father of Zhang Zi, who served as the Deputy Minister of the Salt Transport Bureau for the Two Huai Regions during the Yuan Dynasty. He passed away in the fourth year of the Zhida era (1311 AD) and was buried in Xiaofangli, Chengwu. The stele was erected in the second year of the Yanyou era (1315 AD) of the Yuan Dynasty, in March. The inscription was composed by Yuan Mingshan, Academician of the Hanlin Academy and Secretary Advisor in charge of imperial edicts and national history; the title was inscribed in seal script by Wang Yi, Supervisory Censor and Senior Official of the Censorate; and the text was calligraphed by Zhao Mengfu, a renowned calligrapher of the Yuan Dynasty, Scholar of the Jixian Institute, and Senior Official of Virtue. It is hailed as a “Three Perfections” stele and has long been treasured by people, often reproduced through rubbing throughout the dynasties. The stele is made of bluestone, standing 440 cm tall, 120 cm wide, and 44 cm thick. It features a dragon-headed top (chi shou) and a tortoise-shaped base (gui fu), with a grand overall design. The inscription consists of 22 lines, each containing up to 60 characters. Most of the tortoise base is buried underground. Aside from some areas damaged by human activity, the majority of the text remains intact and legible. The calligraphy is in regular script, with elegant and graceful characters, exuding a carefree charm. The strokes are steady and masterfully executed, the structure rigorous, and the overall style classic and refined — making it one of the finest representative works of Zhao Mengfu. In 1981, the Shandong Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau allocated special funds to construct a stele pavilion. In 1989, it was designated as a county-level cultural relic protection unit. In 2009, the Tomb Stele of Zhang Cheng was further announced by the Heze Municipal People's Government as part of the first batch of municipal-level cultural relic protection units.

Source: Heze Municipal Local Chronicles Office