Stone Carving at the Hometown of Xiong Wencan

Stone Carving at the Hometown of Xiong Wencan

The stone carving at the hometown of Xiong Wencan is a cultural relic protection unit of Luzhou City.

The stone carving at the hometown of Xiong Wencan is carved into a northwest-southeast oriented rock face, facing northeast and southwest, and was engraved in the fifth year of the Daoguang reign of the Qing Dynasty (1825). The carving is 5.1 meters long and 1.3 meters wide. The upper inscription reads: “The name stele of the Wanli Dingwei era lists him as a native of Luzhou from Yongning Guard according to the Provincial Gazetteer.” The main body features five seal script characters in intaglio: “Hometown of Xiong Wencan,” each character measuring 0.6 meters in diameter. The lower inscription reads: “Engraved by Xiong Zhonghuang, descendant of the Juren (successful candidate in the imperial examinations at the provincial level) of the Bingzi Year, on the ninth day of the Gu month in the Yiyou Year of the Daoguang reign.” The surface of the stone carving is covered with lichen and moss and has suffered severe weathering, with parts of the inscriptions partially eroded.

Xiong Wencan was a native of Yunjin Town in today’s Luxian County. He became a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) in the 35th year of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty (1607), and held positions such as Governor of Fujian, Minister of War, and Right Vice Censor-in-Chief, overseeing military affairs in Nanjing, Henan, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Huguang, and Sichuan. In the 12th year of the Chongzhen reign (1639), he was arrested and imprisoned after failing to pacify Zhang Xianzhong, and was executed the following year.

This stone carving holds significant historical and artistic value. In December 1989, it was designated as part of the third batch of municipal-level cultural relic protection units by the People’s Government of Luzhou City.