Stele of the Record of the Zhaogin Hall

Stele of the Record of the Zhaogin Hall

The Zhaogin Hall Stele is a cultural relic protection unit of Henan Province.

The original Zhaogin Hall Stele was erected in the second year of the Zhiping era of the Song Dynasty (1065), but it was lost at an unknown time. The existing stele is a recarving from the early Yuan Dynasty during the Zhiyuan era, and it had long been buried underground. It was unearthed in the west of the Drum Tower in Zhangde Prefecture during the Shunzhi era of the Qing Dynasty and then relocated to the western wing of the Han Qi Ancestral Hall on Ying Street in the southeast of the prefectural city.

The original stele was erected in the second year of the Zhiping era of the Song Dynasty (1065), but it was lost at an unknown time. The existing stele is a recarving from the early Yuan Dynasty during the Zhiyuan era, and it had long been buried underground. It was unearthed in the west of the Drum Tower in Zhangde Prefecture during the Shunzhi era of the Qing Dynasty and then relocated to the western wing of the Han Qi Ancestral Hall on Ying Street in the southeast of the prefectural city. The stele features a seal script title carved by Shao Bi of the Song Dynasty, an essay written by Ouyang Xiu, and calligraphy by Cai Xiang, collectively renowned as the “Three Masterpieces Stele.” The stele stands 2.73 meters high, 1.21 meters wide, and 0.27 meters thick, with 18 lines of text, each containing 39 characters. The lower part of the stele body has become faded and illegible.

Han Qi, a native of Anyang, was a renowned statesman of the Northern Song Dynasty who served through the reigns of Emperors Renzong, Yingzong, and Shenzong. The Zhaogin Hall was a building constructed by Han Qi in the garden behind the state office when he served as the prefect of Zhuzhou. The “Record of the Zhaogin Hall” written by Ouyang Xiu is a renowned literary masterpiece.

The reverse side of the stele also bears an essay titled “Record of the Temple of Duke Han Wei in Beijing” written by Sima Guang. The original stele was erected at the Temple of Duke Wei in Daming County, Hebei Province, and was moved and carved onto the reverse side of this stele during the Yuan Dynasty. Its calligraphy is remarkably consistent with that on the front, as if done by the same hand. In 1963, it was listed among the first batch of cultural relic protection units of Henan Province.

Further Reading:

· First Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Henan Province