Cluster of Han Dynasty Stone Steles

Cluster of Han Dynasty Stone Steles

The Cluster of Han Dynasty Stone Steles is a cultural relic protection unit of Shandong Province.

Cluster of Han Dynasty Stone Steles: Located in the northeast corner of the courtyard of the Education Bureau on Tietasi Street in Jining City, Shandong Province. It houses ten types of Han Dynasty stone steles. According to local records, the original Confucian Temple in Jining once contained many Han Dynasty steles, which were documented in Zhao Mingcheng’s “Jinshi Lu” (Record of Metal and Stone Inscriptions) from the Song Dynasty and Ouyang Xiu’s “Jigu Lu” (Collected Records of Antiquities). After enduring wars and turmoil, only five steles remained by the Qing Dynasty: the “Stele of Lu Jun, Colonel-Director of Retainers,” the “Stele of Fan Shi, Prefect of Lujiang,” the “Stele of Jing Jun, Governor of Beihai,” the “Tombstone of Zhu Junzhang,” and the “Stele of Zheng Jiuyi, Magistrate of Weishi.” There is also a Ming Dynasty replica of the “Epitaph of Guo Linzong.” During the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty, epigrapher Huang Yi excavated the Wu Family Shrines at Wuliang in Jiaxiang and transported the “Stele of Wu Rong, Assistant to the Commander of the Capital Guards” and the Han relief stone “Confucius Meeting Laozi” to Jining. Later, after fragments of the “Stele of Zheng Gu” were discovered, the full stele was also unearthed. Together with the other existing Han steles, they were moved to the Minglun Hall of the Prefectural School. In 1929, Wang Dasu, then Director of Education of Jining County, relocated them to their current site, naming it the “Small Metal and Stone Gallery.” This batch of Han Dynasty steles has been frequently recorded in literature and serves as precious material for researching Han Dynasty history and the art of calligraphy.

Guzhu Township: Guzhu Township is located in the eastern part of the county, bordering Meilin Township and Shuyang Town of Nanjing County to the east, connecting with Hukeng Town and Gaotou Township to the south, adjacent to Chendong Township to the west, and backed by Longtan Town and Fujian Town to the north. It covers an area of 60 square kilometers. The township government is located in Shuijingxia at Guzhu Market, 45 kilometers from the county seat. In 2000, there were nine village committees, 132 villager groups (including two revolutionary base villages), 3,059 households, and a population of 14,986. The township has one junior high school, 11 primary schools, five kindergartens, and one health center. Known as the "hometown of tulou," the area features 760 various types of tulou (earthen buildings), including the magnificent Pengkeng Tulou... More details about Guzhu Township++

Further Reading:

· First Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units in Shandong Province

· First Batch of Municipal Cultural Relic Protection Units in Jining City