Inscription of Liu Pingguo

Inscription of Liu Pingguo

The Inscription of Liu Pingguo is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The full name of this inscription is "The Cliff Inscription of Liu Pingguo, Left General of Kucha," also known as "The Ode to Liu Pingguo's Road Construction," "The Eulogy on Liu Pingguo's Pass Pavilion Construction," or "The Kucha Cliff Inscription." It consists of 8 lines and 105 characters. It is located on the surface of a massive cliff at the mouth of Bozakrak Gully in Heyingshan Township, approximately 150 kilometers northeast of Baicheng County, Xinjiang. It was carved in the eighth month of the fourth year of the Yongshou era (158 AD) during the reign of Emperor Huan of the Han Dynasty (the Yongshou era lasted only three years, and the following year, in June, the era name was changed to "Yanxi"). This clerical script cliff inscription records how Liu Pingguo, the Left General of Kucha under the Western Regions Protectorate, led six Qiang people and six people from the Qin region (Han people) to construct a pass and build a road. After the project, he carved a passage into the nearby stone cliff, documenting the feat of chiseling the rock to build a pavilion and a pass. It serves as an important historical source for the study of Xinjiang.

The earliest discovery of this stone inscription dates back to the fifth year of the Guangxu era in the Qing Dynasty, in the summer of 1879 AD. Zhang Yao, a renowned Qing Dynasty official for river management, who also served as the acting commander of the Xinjiang military affairs under the Guangdong Land Forces, sent soldiers to scout for a shortcut across the Tianshan Mountains. While traveling through the rugged mountains around Sayram Lake, one soldier lost his way and accidentally discovered faint carvings on the cliff face, with strokes crisscrossing as if forming characters. Upon returning to camp, he told his comrades. At that time, Shi Buhua, an aide of Zhang Yao, upon hearing the news, rode a horse and brought supplies to investigate. He learned that it was a cliff inscription from the Eastern Han Dynasty and immediately made rubbings to preserve them for posterity.

Since then, literati and scholars have continuously visited the site to explore ancient history, producing numerous rubbings that caused a sensation in the capital. Because it is an authentic example of Han Dynasty clerical script, possessing both historical and calligraphic value — a rare find — officers, local officials, and merchants all competed to make rubbings. In 1928, the famous Chinese archaeologist Huang Wenbi once inspected the site, but unfortunately, by the time he arrived, the inscriptions had already become blurred. In 1957, cultural relics archaeologists in Xinjiang designated it as one of the first batch of provincial-level key cultural relics protection units.

In late July 2002, a once-in-a-century flood struck Baicheng County, and the Liu Pingguo cliff inscription site was not spared. The debris carried by the flood caused irreparable damage to this extremely precious cliff inscription site. Currently, it has become very difficult to fully discern all the inscribed characters on the cliff. Later, the cultural relics management department of Baicheng County formulated a maintenance plan for the Liu Pingguo, Left General of Kucha, Cliff Inscription Site to enhance its protection.

The inscription is severely eroded, with faded text. The characters vary in size, mostly using rounded brush strokes. Though seemingly casual, they carry an ancient and elegant charm. Compared to other inscriptions such as those at "Xixia" and "Shimen," this one is broader, more open, and more unrestrained.

On October 7, 2019, the Inscription of Liu Pingguo was included in the eighth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Further Reading:

· Eighth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units