Stone Inscription of the "Xinzhai Inscription Record"

Stone Inscription of the "Xinzhai Inscription Record"

The Stone Inscription of the "Xinzhai Inscription Record" is a cultural relic protection unit of Hunan Province.

Dating back to the Northern Song Dynasty. Located in Minxikou Village, Minxikou Township, Yuanling County, Hunan Province. The inscription record holds significant value for researching the history of ethnic minorities in the province.

The inscription was carved in the third year of the Zhenghe era of the Song Dynasty (1056), on the cliff rocks at the confluence of the You River and the Yuan River. The stele text describes the battle between Lei Jianfu and Peng Shixi, written in regular script with characters 7 cm in size, 32 lines, totaling 412 characters. It was composed by Lei Jianfu, inscribed by Mi ZhenSheng, and records the official positions and names of various military commanders. Because later generations painted the characters red, it is commonly known as the "Red Character Stele."

Lei Jianfu, who was the magistrate of Yazhou, faced a rebellion led by Peng Shixi, a Tujia ethnic leader. Efforts by the Deputy Commissioner of the Three Departments, Li Can, and others to pacify the situation were unsuccessful. When Lei Jianfu arrived, he supervised the generals in advancing their troops, constructing two fortresses—upper and lower Minxikou—taking advantage of the strategic terrain and expanding control over 500 li. Peng Shixi submitted to the authority, and Lei Jianfu was promoted to the position of Supervisor of the Iron Bureau under the Three Departments for his achievements.

This record serves as an important reference for studying the history of the province’s ethnic minorities and also corrects content recorded in old local gazetteers, clarifying historical events that had been misrepresented for 300 years.

On October 10, 1983, the People's Government of Hunan Province designated it as a provincial-level cultural relic protection unit, with the serial number 116-8.

Source: Overview of Cultural Relics in Hunan