Stele of Abdication and Stele of the Nobles and Generals Requesting the Imperial Title

Stele of Abdication and Stele of the Nobles and Generals Requesting the Imperial Title

The Stele of Abdication and the Stele of the Nobles and Generals Requesting the Imperial Title are cultural relics protected at the provincial level in Henan Province.

The Stele of Abdication. A clerical script stele from the Wei Kingdom of the Three Kingdoms period, erected in the first year of Huangchu (220 AD). It measures 270 cm in height and 140 cm in width, with 22 lines of 49 characters each.

In the tenth month on the day of Yimao during the first year of Yan Kang (220 AD) of Emperor Xian of the Eastern Han, he abdicated the throne to Cao Pi, King of Wei, who then immediately ascended the throne as emperor and changed the era name to Huangchu of the Great Wei. On the day of Xinnuo in October, this stele was erected to commemorate the “abdication” of power by the Han dynasty to him. The Stele of Abdication and the renowned Stele of the Imperial Title were both erected in the temple of Emperor Xian of Han within the former capital of Cao Wei at the southern part of Xuchang (its location is now Gucheng Village). The temple has long been in ruins. The Stele of Abdication and the Stele of the Imperial Title

are both grand works from the early Wei period. Not only do they hold significant historical value, but their calligraphy has also long been highly regarded. Since the Tang and Song dynasties, they have been repeatedly recorded in texts. Their structures are square, solemn, and disciplined; the brushwork is vigorous and decisive, with a majestic and unrestrained spirit, bold bones, and a refined, profound elegance befitting a master’s style.

The Stele of the Nobles and Generals Requesting the Imperial Title is located at the site of the temple of Emperor Xian of Han in Fancheng Town, 15 kilometers northwest of Lingyuan County. The content of the stele was engraved in the first year of Huangchu of the Wei Kingdom (220 AD). It stands 3.32 meters high, 1.02 meters wide, and 0.32 meters thick, with a perforation. The top bears a raised seal script inscription in positive characters reading “Stele of the Nobles and Generals Requesting the Imperial Title.” The main body is in clerical script, comprising 32 lines (with the last 10 lines on the reverse side), each containing 49 characters, though many characters are damaged. It is traditionally attributed to Wang Lang as the author, Liang Hu as the calligrapher, and Zhong Yao as the engraver—collectively known as the “Three Perfections.” The text is a memorial presented by the nobles and generals to Cao Pi, King of Wei, urging him to replace the Han and establish the Wei dynasty as emperor. The stele describes the chaos at the end of the Eastern Han dynasty, with widespread peasant uprisings and fragmentation among regional warlords. Cao Cao welcomed Emperor Xian to Xuchang, using imperial authority to command the regional lords, and after prolonged warfare, unified the north. After Cao Cao’s death in the first month of the 25th year of Jian’an (220 AD), his son Cao Pi succeeded him as Chancellor and King of Wei. Under repeated urging from his ministers, in October of that year, Cao Pi deposed Emperor Xian and declared himself emperor of the Wei dynasty. The stele, written in a seven-part clerical script, shows a transitional style between Han clerical and Wei script, bold and decisive, and has been highly praised by calligraphers throughout history. It is a provincial-level key cultural relic protection unit.

Fancheng Town: Historically known as “Langyuan,” “Quli,” or “Fanyang Ting,” Fancheng is located at the junction of Lingyuan, Xuchang, and Xiangcheng counties in the northwest of Lingyuan County. In the 25th year of Jian’an (220 AD) of the Eastern Han, it became famous as the site where the Cao Wei dynasty accepted the abdication and replaced the Han. The town covers a total area of 54 square kilometers, governs 32 administrative villages and 82 natural villages, with a total population of 59,000, including members of eight ethnic groups: Han, Hui, Manchu, Mongolian, Miao, Tibetan, Zhuang, and Uyghur. It is the only multi-ethnic township in Luohe City.

Fancheng Hui Ethnic Town has a profound historical and cultural heritage, complete urban infrastructure, and a developed commercial sector, with a harmonious society... Detailed information about Fancheng Town++

Further Reading:

· First Batch of Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units in Henan