Exhibition Hall of Han and Wei Dynasty Stone Tablets in Qufu

　　The Exhibition Hall of Han and Wei Dynasty Stone Tablets in Qufu is a management institution set up by the Qufu cultural relics authorities to protect the area’s treasured stone tablets. After its completion in 1998, it centralized and displayed the Han and Wei dynasty stone tablets originally housed or scattered across sites such as the Confucius Temple and the Confucius Forest, along with some other key stelae. To fully leverage the museum’s role in promoting and disseminating the culture of Han and Wei stone tablets, and to allow the public to share in the achievements of human civilization, the museum is open to visitors free of charge.

　　Qufu is home to a collection of over 6,000 stone tablets from various dynasties, making it one of China’s three major stele forests. The Exhibition Hall of Han and Wei Dynasty Stone Tablets in Qufu showcases the finest examples of these tablets, with 131 stone tablets and 6 stone carvings currently preserved. These artifacts span the Western Han, Eastern Han, Cao Wei, Northern Wei, Eastern Wei, Northern Qi, Sui, Tang, Song, Jin, Yuan, Ming, Qing dynasties, and the Republic of China, covering the entire history of Chinese stele inscriptions. Among them are 6 tablets from the Western Han, 18 from the Eastern Han, and 4 from the Wei period—the largest number of Han dynasty tablets in the country. The North Terrace Stone is an extremely rare early Western Han engraved stone discovered in China to date, while the Five Phoenixes Stone is one of the country’s renowned Western Han stone carvings. The Yiying Stele, Ritual Vessel Stele, Kong Zhou Stele, and Shichen Stele are representative works of Han dynasty clerical script, and the Zhang Menglong Stele exemplifies the highest achievement of Wei-style calligraphy. These world-rare stone tablets serve as the most direct and authentic carriers of historical information. They are invaluable resources for studying the politics, ideology, culture, evolution of Chinese character scripts, and the historical development of the Confucius Temple, as well as treasures of Chinese calligraphic art. Literary figure Ouyang Xiu and epigrapher Zhao Mingcheng both visited Qufu to study these tablets, later including their findings in their own writings.

　　Address: Former West Warehouse of the Confucius Mansion, behind the Confucius Temple, Qufu City, Jining

　　Business Hours: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

　　Recommended Visiting Time: About 1 hour

　　Highlight Attractions: Yiying Stele, Ritual Vessel Stele, Kong Zhou Stele, Shichen Stele