Stele of Widow Jia’s Chastity

Stele of Widow Jia’s Chastity

The Stele of Widow Jia’s Chastity is a protected cultural relic of Hebei Province.

The Stele of Widow Jia’s Chastity, located in Boxiang County, Xingtai City, Hebei Province, was erected by Jia Tingrui, a Middle-Grade Imperial Censor and Deputy Director of the Ministry of Revenue during the Yuan Dynasty, in honor of his mother. The text was composed by Yang Zai, and the calligraphy was done by the renowned artist Zhao Mengfu. The strokes are rich and fluid, the lines graceful and smooth, and the structure well-balanced and elegant, showcasing high artistic value. The stele is 360 cm tall, 100 cm wide, and 40 cm thick, resting on a tortoise-shaped base and topped with a coiled-dragon capital. The inscription on the stele’s head, “Stele Record of Widow Jia’s Chastity,” is in Zhao’s seal script. The stele was severely damaged during the Cultural Revolution and was designated as a provincial-level key cultural relic protection unit in 1982.

Jia Tingrui’s father, Jia Liang, made a living by teaching Confucian classics in his hometown but passed away at a young age. His mother, Lady Hua, remained chaste and did not remarry, raising Tingrui and educating him using the writings left by her late husband. Tingrui lost his father in childhood. His mother, Lady Hua, remained widowed from a young age, raising her son with frugality and diligence, and nurturing him to achieve success.

As he grew up, Tingrui served under the chancellor Heshilie Hessan, an ethnic Mongol politician of the Yuan Dynasty who was granted the title of Dala Khan and the fiefdom of Shunde (now Xingtai City), posthumously honored as the King of Shunde (Xingtai). Tingrui later transferred to the Ministry of Personnel, then served in the Board of Administration and the Department of State Affairs. He resigned from office after clashing with the emperor’s close attendants, returning home to care for his mother in her old age. After her death, he observed three years of mourning. He was later reappointed by the court, serving as the Prefect of Yangzhou Road with the rank of Third Grade, and was posthumously honored as Marquis of Wuwei Commandery.

The “Record of Widow Jia’s Chastity” was created after the death of Lady Hua. Tingrui invited Zhao Mengfu to provide the calligraphy and Yang Zai to compose the text, resulting in the “Record of Widow Jia’s Chastity,” which was engraved and erected in the second year of the Yanyou era of the Yuan Dynasty (1315 AD) at the Jia family cemetery in Zhujia Village, Boxiang County. It is historically referred to as the “Double Masterpiece” stele. Also erected at the same time was the “Record of the Chastity Hall” stele, also calligraphed by Zhao Mengfu and composed by Yang Zai.

Further Reading:

· Second Batch of Protected Cultural Relics of Hebei Province