Stele of the Buddhist Hall

Stele of the Buddhist Hall

The Stele of the Buddhist Hall is located in the courtyard of Yang Yuhai’s home in Shijiazhuang Village, Changzhen Township. It is made of bluestone, with a dragon head ornament (chi shou) at the top and a turtle-shaped base (gui fu zuo). The stele stands 1.63 meters tall in total, with the main body measuring 1.06 meters in height, 0.74 meters in width, and 0.22 meters in thickness; the turtle base is 1.2 meters long, 0.74 meters wide, and 0.5 meters high. The front of the stele features a dragon-and-pearl motif on the top, with the dragons’ heads facing downward, and in the center is carved a flame niche containing a Buddha statue. The top inscription reads “Stele of the Buddhist Hall.” The main text is written in regular script, with 26 lines and 42 characters per line, documenting the reconstruction of the temple and elaborating on Buddhist teachings. It was erected on the 28th day of the tenth month in the year 1061 during the seventh year of the Qingning reign of the Liao Dynasty (October 28, 1061), written by Cui [surname missing], a tribute scholar from Qinghe Township, and calligraphed by Kexuan, a monk from the Thousand Buddha Temple in Shuozhou. The back of the stele also features a dragon-and-pearl motif on the top, with the heading reading “Most Holy Empress Dowager, Wise and Sagacious Empress,” and the main text lists the names of merit donors in regular script. (From “A Collection of Cultural Relics in Xinzhou”)

Source: Xinzhou Website

Shijiazhuang Village: Shijiazhuang Village…… Detailed information about Shijiazhuang Village++