Forest of Stone Tablets of Taoist Origins

　　Forest of Stone Tablets of Taoist Origins, covering an area of 30 acres, has an overall layout that forms a giant "Ruyi" (scepter). The Ruyi is a traditional Chinese symbol of good fortune and also an important ritual object in Taoism. The forest is divided into four spatial sections—dark, gray, water, and light—representing the themes of "Embracing the Tao," "Discussing Virtue," "Upholding Goodness," and "-" respectively. A space enclosed by green trees and stone tablets creates a "dark" area, symbolizing the initial confusion when first seeking the Tao; a "gray" space represents the faint insights gained after contemplating the Tao; a "blue" water space expresses an understanding of Laozi’s concept of "goodness"; and finally, a bright, open lawn space metaphorically illustrates the dissemination of Laozi’s philosophy. The forest mainly features stone steles inscribed with excerpts from the Dao De Jing, calligraphed by 81 renowned domestic calligraphers. It also includes engraved prefaces to the Dao De Jing annotated by four emperors: Emperor Li Longji of the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Zhao Ji of the Song Dynasty, Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang of the Ming Dynasty, and Emperor Aisin Gioro Fulin of the Qing Dynasty. Additionally, there are engraved illustrations of Laozi’s sacred sites and a full-body stone statue of Laozi painted by the famous Tang Dynasty artist Wu Daozi.

　　Source: Luoyi County People's Government Website