Octagonal Stele

Octagonal Stele

Located in Lijizhai Community, Zhangzhuang Town, the Octagonal Stele, officially known as the Octagonal Scripture Pillar and commonly called the Iron Tree, is the only Song Dynasty stone inscription in Yucheng City. It is classified as a second-class national cultural relic and a first-class provincial cultural relic. Experts have identified the inscriptions as written by Ouyang Xun of the Song Dynasty, whose calligraphy is vigorous, powerful, neat, and elegant—truly a masterpiece handed down through the ages. The stele stands over 6 meters tall, with a square base made from two thick 20-centimeter slabs of stone joined together. Above the base is a lotus pedestal, on which eight grotesque arhats are carved—wide-eyed, bulging, crouching with waists tucked, and carrying the heavy octagonal scripture pillar on their shoulders. Above that is another lotus seat, featuring standing Buddhas and intricately carved dragons coiled and lying in layers, with three-patterned borders all around, all in octagonal shapes. The upper section includes flying apsaras reliefs, with eight Buddha statues embedded beneath the coiled dragons, and the entire structure is crowned with an octagonal cloud-patterned lotus. This masterpiece collectively showcases the exceptional craftsmanship and artistic achievements of Song Dynasty stone carving. The Octagonal Stele was first erected in October of the first year of the Taiping Xingguo era (976 AD). During the Cultural Revolution, it was toppled and the stone pieces were scattered. In October 1979, villagers re-erected and restored the stele. It was stolen in June 2012 but recovered after an investigation. It was later relocated and reinstalled in the western part of Lijizhai Community.

Source: Yucheng City Local Chronicles Compilation Committee