Museum of Stone Carving Art

　　Destination Introduction
　　The Beijing Museum of Stone Carving Art is situated within the ruins of Zhenjue Temple, approximately 500 meters east of Baishi Bridge in Haidian District. It is a thematic museum showcasing the finest stone carvings and sculptures from the Beijing area, and opened to the public in October 1987. The outdoor exhibits of the Stone Carving Museum are divided into eight themed zones based on content and function, displaying over 500 types of historical stone artifacts, plus more than a thousand more stored in the collection. These include the earliest extant stone carving in the Beijing area — the "Spirit Way Pillar of Qin Jun, Former Scribe of Youzhou in the Han Dynasty" pillar and stone gate components; precious Buddhist statues from the Northern Dynasties, epitaphs from the Tang and Ming dynasties, stone carvings from the Jin and Yuan periods, Qing Dynasty stone ritual structures, calligraphy rubbings, and stone inscriptions by master calligraphers.

　　　　The "Exhibition on the History of Stone Carving" showcases the development of stone carving culture from primitive society through the Ming and Qing dynasties, recreating the progress of human civilization.

　　　　Zhenjue Temple, commonly known as the Five Pagoda Temple, was first built during the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty, with the Diamond Throne Pagoda completed in the ninth year of the Chenghua era (1473). The temple originally had over 200 halls, towers, and pavilions, but most were destroyed in a fire in the late Qing Dynasty, leaving only the pagoda standing.

　　　　The Diamond Throne Pagoda consists of a base, a spire pavilion, and five four-sided, closely-eaved towers. With a brick interior and stone exterior, the structure is covered in carvings depicting Buddhist themes. It is one of the earlier and uniquely structured examples among the dozen or so similar pagodas still existing in China, making it an important historical relic and a rare piece of large-scale ancient art.

　　　　The site of the Beijing Museum of Stone Carving Art is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

　　　　The museum also offers various service facilities: first-rate collotype reproduction services, workshops teaching the art of rubbing, and chemical preservation services for stone carvings.

　　　　Address: No. 24, Wuta Temple Village, Haidian District, Beijing

　　　　Phone: 62173543

　　　　Opening Hours: 9:00–16:30, ticket sales stop at 16:00, closed on Mondays, open on weekdays and holidays as usual.

　　　　Admission: 10 RMB for adults, 5 RMB to climb the pagoda; 5 RMB for students, 2 RMB to climb the pagoda

　　　　Location: Located within the ruins of Zhenjue Temple, about 500 meters east of Baishi Bridge in Haidian District

　　　　Area: 2,100 square meters

　　　　The museum centers around the Diamond Throne Pagoda, with eight exhibition zones arranged on its east, north, and west sides according to the content of the stone carvings, forming a "stars surrounding the moon" layout.

　　　　1 Comprehensive Exhibition Zone: Located to the east of the throne, this zone displays 31 stone steles of various shapes and contents. These include the Stone Dao Stele written by Emperor Yongzheng, large horizontal steles, wall-mounted steles expounding ethics, and even a wordless stele; there are also merit steles buried underground with the deceased; Sino-Western hybrid obelisks; eunuch steles; and temple inscribed pillars. It can be considered a microcosm of Beijing’s stone steles.

　　　　2 Merit Stele Exhibition Zone: Located to the north of the throne, this zone houses 12 steles commemorating meritorious officials from the Ming and Qing dynasties. Among them, the Fu Heng Ancestral Hall Stele, which honors an official who contributed greatly to the Qing Dynasty, is considered a masterpiece in both form and carving.

　　　　3 Epitaph Exhibition Zone: Displays 105 epitaphs from the Tang to Qing dynasties that record information on Beijing’s history, geography, and politics.

　　　　4 Artistic Stone Carving Zone: Showcases over 200 artistic stone carvings. Among them, the pillar and plaque from the Eastern Han Dynasty’s memorial archway are the oldest stone carvings in Beijing. Buddhist statues from the Northern Qi and Northern Wei periods are of high artistic value.

　　　　5 Guild Hall Stele Exhibition Zone: Features 53 steles from guilds and hometown associations across eight provinces including Shanxi, Henan, Anhui, and Zhejiang.

　　　　6 Temple Stele Exhibition Zone: Includes 14 steles from temples, monasteries, and nunneries.

　　　　7 Stone Sculpture Exhibition Zone: Displays 69 types of stone sculptures. One highlight is a Qing Dynasty stone ritual hall, a stone-carved wooden structure composed of over thirty sets of carvings, extremely exquisite.

　　　　8 Jesuit Stele Exhibition Zone: Showcases 36 tombstones of foreign missionaries.

　　　　Take bus routes 320, 332, 717, 941, Yuntong 102, 105, 106, Te 4, or Te 6 to the National Library stop, walk south, then head west along the small road on the north bank of the river for about 500 meters.

　　 Haidian District, Beijing