Hanzhong Museum

　　   Hanzhong Museum, also known as Hanzhong City Museum, was established on November 9, 1958. It is a comprehensive local history museum in Hanzhong City and is listed among the top ten museums in Shaanxi Province. The museum features thematic exhibitions including the Thirteen Stone Inscriptions from the Han and Wei Dynasties at Shimen, the Ancient Baoshé Plank Road, Historical Relics of Hanzhong from the Han Dynasty, Cultural Relics Unearthed from Song Tombs in Hanzhong, Calligraphy and Paintings by Ancient Celebrities, Religious Sculptures in the Museum Collection, and Revolutionary Historical Relics of Modern Hanzhong.

　　   In 1958, Hanzhong City Museum was founded, using the Han Terrace as its site. With care and support from the Party and government, it has undergone several renovations and taken on a completely renewed appearance, becoming a local comprehensive history museum of considerable scale. The museum houses such themed exhibits as the Thirteen Stone Inscriptions from the Han and Wei Dynasties at Shimen, the Ancient Baoshé Plank Road, Historical Relics of Hanzhong from the Han Dynasty, Cultural Relics Unearthed from Song Tombs in Hanzhong, Calligraphy and Paintings by Ancient Celebrities, Religious Sculptures in the Museum Collection, and Revolutionary Historical Relics of Modern Hanzhong. Over the years, research on the museum’s collections has attracted attention both at home and abroad. What was once an imperial palace has now become a wonderful destination for both domestic and international tourists to explore ancient sites and enjoy scenic beauty.

　　　　      The Ancient Han Terrace is the site of the palace of Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang. It is seven meters high, faces south, and is divided into three levels. It is an artificially rammed earth structure that exemplifies the…

　　   Hanzhong Museum

　　   architectural style of palaces from the Qin and Han dynasties.

　　　　   After the Feast at Hongmen, Liu Bang was granted the title of King of Han by Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, and was given rule over the regions of Ba, Shu, and Hanzhong, with his capital at Nanzheng (present-day Hantai District, Hanzhong City). The King of Han traveled to Hanzhong via the Ziwu Trail, burning the plank roads along the way to demonstrate that he had no intention of returning north. Upon arriving in Hanzhong, he was furious. Xiao He promptly advised him, “In Hanzhong, people say 'Tianhan' (Heavenly Han River), which is a most beautiful name. The Heavenly Han River corresponds to the earthly Han River—it is the will of Heaven. I hope Your Majesty will rule in Hanzhong.” Thereupon, the King of Han rested and built up his strength. Following Xiao He’s advice, he appointed Han Xin—who had once suffered the humiliation of crawling between another’s legs—as Grand General, shocking the entire army. Later, he openly repaired the plank roads while secretly marching through Chen Cang, crossed the Qinling Mountains, and defeated the invincible Xiang Yu, thereby establishing the unified feudal dynasty—the Han Dynasty, historically known as the Western Han. Hanzhong gave rise to the Han enterprise. It became the birthplace of the Western Han Dynasty. Legends such as “openly repairing the plank roads while secretly marching through Chen Cang,” “the sudden rise of the Han River at Cold Stream at night,” and “Xiao He chasing Han Xin under the moon” have been passed down for millennia.

　　　　   After the Song Dynasty, the Ancient Han Terrace became the back garden of the Hanzhong Prefecture Office. The Wangjiang Tower, also known as Tianhan Tower, was built during the Southern Song Dynasty and is located at the highest point of the Ancient Han Terrace. It features architectural styles from both the north and the south.

　　 Stone Carvings at the Shimen Pass of the Baoshé Plank Road (Thirteen Stone Inscriptions of Shimen)

　　　　   The “Shimen Pass and Its Stone Carvings,” announced by the State Council as part of the first group of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level. The Baoshé Plank Road is the longest-lasting and most convenient of the Shu Roads that cross the Qinling Mountains. The Shimen Pass is a tunnel opened during the Yongping era of the Eastern Han Dynasty and is the world’s earliest man-made mountain-crossing transportation tunnel. Over the dynasties, literati and artists carved 178 stone inscriptions on the cliffs of the Shimen Tunnel and the surrounding mountains to the north and south. Among them, the most famous are the Thirteen Stone Inscriptions of Shimen, hailed as national treasures.

　　　　   The Thirteen Stone Inscriptions of Shimen refer to the collective name for thirteen cliff inscriptions located in the Shimen Tunnel of the ancient Baoshé Plank Road and on the cliffs to its north and south.

　　　　   The Eastern Han Dynasty’s “? Jun Opens the Baoshé Plank Road Cliff Inscription” was originally located about one li south of the Shimen Cave, on a cliff made of mica schist. The surface of the stone is uneven with grooves, and the inscriptions are faint. The calligraphy style is a mixture of clerical and seal scripts, possessing a distinctly ancient charm. This calligraphic style is unique in China and is regarded as a national treasure-level cultural relic.

　　　　   The “Shimen Ode,” officially titled “Ode to the Late Colonel-Director of Retainers Yang Jun of Jianwei,” was carved in the second year of the Jianhe era. Along with the “Fufu Ode” and the “Xixia Ode,” it is known as one of the Three Odes of the Han Dynasty and is considered an outstanding work of clerical script and a treasured piece of calligraphy. It recounts how the late Colonel-Director of Retainers Yang Mengwen overcame opposition and finally restored the Baoshé Plank Road. It also reflects the historical existence of four routes across the Qinling Mountains during the Eastern Han Dynasty—information not recorded in official histories. Therefore, it holds significant historical and documentary value. The “Shimen Ode” is an excellent example of clerical script, representing the highest level of ancient clerical calligraphy. Bold, simple, majestic, and graceful, it has been widely copied by calligraphers throughout the centuries. Qing Dynasty’s Zhang Zuyi commented, “Over the past three hundred years, countless people have studied Han steles, yet none have dared to study the ‘Shimen Ode.’ Its bold and vigorous spirit is something timid scholars dare not attempt and weaker hands cannot manage.”

　　　　   Later, there were other Han Dynasty stone inscriptions such as the “Inscription of Yang Huai and Yang Bi” and the “Record of Li Jun’s Construction of the Plank Road.” Their styles inherited those of the “Shimen Ode” but also developed further.

　　　　   The “Jade Basin,” traditionally said to have been written by Zhang Liang, is located in the middle of the Ba River south of Shimen. Shaped like a huge basin and with a jade-like color, “Floating Jade Basin” is one of the Twenty-Four Scenic Spots of Ba Valley during the Qing Dynasty.

　　　　   “Gǔn Xuě” (Rolling Snow) was written by Cao Cao, the King of Wei. The “hero of his age,” Cao Cao visited Hanzhong twice in his lifetime. In the 20th year of the Jian’an era (215), he conquered the Five Pecks of Rice followers and Zhang Lu without battle. The second time was in the 24th year of Jian’an (219), when the veteran general Huang Zhong beheaded Xiahou Yuan. This stone inscription was created during his second visit to Hanzhong. At the time, seeing the Ba River’s waves splashing like rolling snow, he wrote this piece. The characters are horizontally carved, standing 67 cm tall, 148 cm wide, with individual characters ranging from 35–46 cm in size. It is said to be in Cao Cao’s own hand. The signature “King of Wei” is 6.5 cm in size and differs greatly in style from the two characters “Gǔn Xuě.” Although this cliff inscription has endured many years, the characters remain clear and retain their charm.

　　　　   The “Shimen Inscription” is a cliff carving engraved on the eastern wall of the Shimen in the Ba River during the second year of the Yongping era of the Northern Wei Dynasty. It is a famous Northern Wei stone carving that describes the historical rerouting of the Baoshé Plank Road during that period. Its value mainly lies in its artistic calligraphy.

　　　　   The “Record of the Completion of the Shanhe Weir” was originally located tens of steps south of the Shimen in the Ba River, on the western cliff. It stands 226 cm tall, with the upper edge 510 cm wide and the lower edge 506 cm wide. The edges protrude about 15 cm outward, and the cliff face is indented at both ends but bulges outward in the middle, forming a curved shape. The text is arranged vertically in 16 lines from right to left, with nine characters per line, each character about six inches in size, in clerical script. The full text contains 135 characters, as follows: “In the fifth year of Shaofei, the Shanhe Weir was completed. Prefect Zhang Sen, Intendant Fan Zhongyi, and garrison commander Wang Zonglian mobilized laborers on the day of bǐngchén in the second month. The weir is divided into six sections, totaling 935 zhang, with 410 zhang of channels. Wood used was calculated as 724,900 units, and labor as 159,800 person-units. In the previous fourth year during summer, there was severe flooding, and all six weirs were destroyed. In autumn, the official was ordered to oversee the repairs and, considering the effort and cost required from the people—four times the usual annual burden—contributed 10,000 strings of cash from public funds to aid the people. Cha Hang, Jia Sizu, Yan Mao, and Zhang Bing supervised the project. It describes the flooding that destroyed the Shanhe Weir during the Southern Song Dynasty and the joint repair efforts of officials and citizens. It is written in clerical script by Yan Mao, known as the foremost Southern Song clerical calligrapher, and is a representative work of Song Dynasty clerical script.”

　　　　   Although the Thirteen Stone Inscriptions of Shimen comprise only thirteen cliff inscriptions, they reflect the evolution of clerical script from ancient clerical to Han clerical, Wei script, and Song clerical—a transformation no other stone carvings can replicate. For this reason, they have been highly treasured by calligraphers throughout history and enjoy great renown overseas. Renowned Japanese calligrapher Taniguchi Senju remarked, “Hanzhong’s Shimen is the teacher of Japan.” Among them, “The Great Opening,” “Shimen Ode,” “Record of Yang Huai,” and “Shimen Inscription” have been included in Japanese elementary and secondary school textbooks.

　　 Academic Research

　　 Since 1994, four international academic seminars have been held focusing on the Shu Roads and the stone carvings of Shimen. A series of research works have been published, including Studies on the Stone Carvings of Shimen, The Thirteen Stone Inscriptions of Han and Wei at Shimen, Special Album of the Three Odes of the Han, Essentials of the Thirteen Stone Inscriptions of Shimen, and Complete Collection of Stone Carvings at Shimen.