Stele of the Grand View Holy Edict at Xinxiang Confucius Temple

The Stele of the Grand View Holy Edict at Xinxiang Confucius Temple

The Stele of the Grand View Holy Edict at Xinxiang Confucius Temple is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Stele of the Grand View Holy Edict at Xinxiang Confucius Temple

Located on the north side of West Street in the old city area of Xinxiang, Henan Province, it is the oldest surviving temple in the urban area. The temple was built during the Northern Song Dynasty, and by the end of that period, it served as an academy where the "Stele of the Grand View Holy Edict" (abbreviated as the "Grand View Stele") was erected. It was later destroyed in war but was restored in the third year of the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty (1370 AD). The original Confucius Temple complex included a Dacheng Hall, east and west corridors, the Lingxing Gate, the Jimen Gate, the Chongsheng Palace, the Minglun Hall, and the Pan Pond. Today, only the Dacheng Hall and the Minglun Hall (renovated by the municipal government in 1986) remain. The Dacheng Hall features a hip-and-gable roof covered with glazed tiles, bold bracket sets under the eaves, and rigorously structured wooden components inside. The walls are built with large bricks, many of which are inscribed with phrases such as "Made in Wuzhi County, Zhengde Year 10" and "Made in Xiuwu County, Huaiqing Prefecture." The structure holds certain value for the study of ancient Chinese architecture.

The temple houses over ten ancient stone steles, among which the "Grand View Stele" is the most valuable. Also known as the "Imperially Commissioned Eight Virtues and Eight Punishments Statute," the "Grand View Stele" was composed and inscribed by Emperor Huizong of the Northern Song Dynasty, Zhao Ji, with the title calligraphy by Cai Jing. The full text, consisting of over 1,000 characters, was written in one continuous stroke and represents a major work of the "Slender Gold" calligraphic style created by Emperor Huizong, rendered in standard script. Its calligraphic characteristics include slender, strong, and upright characters, with horizontal strokes ending in hooks, vertical strokes ending in dots, left-falling strokes resembling dashes, and right-falling strokes as sharp as knife cuts. Vertical hooks are long and thin, and some connected strokes resemble floating silk threads. The content of the stele text outlines the regulations established by the Northern Song Dynasty for educational institutions. The "Grand View Stele" is a precious physical artifact for studying ancient Chinese educational history and calligraphic art. One other copy of this stele exists in the Xi’an Stele Forest, and another in Tai’an, Shandong. The Xinxiang "Grand View Stele" is one of the better-preserved versions. In 1973, the Xinxiang Museum published an article evaluating the stele, which appeared in the journal "Cultural Relics." In the same year, rubbings of the stele were exhibited in Japan.

In May 2013, the Stele of the Grand View Holy Edict at Xinxiang Confucius Temple was listed as part of the seventh group of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Further Reading:

· Seventh Group of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units