Inscription in Praise of the Temple of the Divine King

Inscription in Praise of the Temple of the Divine King

The Inscription in Praise of the Temple of the Divine King is a cultural relic protection unit of Zhengzhou City.

The Inscription in Praise of the Temple of the Divine King was written by Emperor Zhenzong of Song, Zhao Heng. The remaining part of the stele is 2.60 meters high, 1.10 meters wide, and 0.30 meters thick. The top of the stele bears five seal characters reading “In Praise of the Divine King.” The inscription praises Li Jing of the Tang Dynasty, stating that his “merits benefited the nation and his kindness spread among the people.” Currently, most of the text on the stele body has peeled off, and it is severely cracked. On the north side is the Jin Dynasty’s “Record of the Reconstruction of the Temple of the Loyal Tang Dynasty Official Li Weigong in Zhengzhou,” erected on November 15, 1191 (the second year of the Mingchang era of the Jin Dynasty). The stele is 2.25 meters high, 1.03 meters wide, and 0.21 meters thick. The top features nine seal characters in three lines reading “Record of the Temple of the Loyal Tang Dynasty Official Li Weigong.” The inscription was composed by Ma Fengchen, authored by □Liu, and calligraphed by You Zong in running script across 22 lines, with up to 40 characters per line. The brushwork is vigorous and the structure bold and free, echoing the style of Zhao Mengjun’s “Record of the Hundred Springs Jade Void Temple.” The text documents the reconstruction of the Temple of Li Weigong (Li Jing) in Zhengzhou.

Source: Zhengzhou Municipal Bureau of Cultural Relics