Xi 'an Forest of Steles is an art treasure house with the earliest collection of ancient inscriptions and the largest number of famous inscriptions in China. It is not only one of the places where ancient Chinese cultural classics are engraved, but also a gathering place of famous calligraphy art treasures in past dynasties, which has great historical and artistic value. In terms of historical value, many stone inscriptions have precious historical value, some of which can be used to supplement and correct the mistakes recorded in historical books, and some are precious materials for studying the history of cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries and local history. For example, the China Monument of Daqin Nestorianism, which was unearthed in zhouzhi county, Shaanxi Province and moved into the forest of steles in the thirty-third year of Guangxu (A.D. 1907), was 353 cm high and 0/03 cm wide, and was carved in Jianzhong, Tang Dezong for two years. It records the introduction of Nestorianism, a branch of Christianity in the Tang Dynasty, from Central Asia to China in both Chinese and Syrian languages.
The words "Dashun" and "Yongchang" are engraved on the "Mingde Ji Shou Monument". This is a relic of the peasant uprising led by Li Zicheng in the Ming Dynasty, which recorded the tragic scenes of drought in Shaanxi at that time, high food prices, "wheat is 224 yuan a barrel, rice is 226 yuan a barrel" and "people eat dogs and eat people"; The Qing Dynasty carved "Hualong Zhang Monument", praising Hualong Zhang, who led the peasants in Fufeng and Qishan areas of Shaanxi Province to rebel against the government at that time; The Song of Famine carved in the Qing Dynasty also recorded the miserable life of some peasants who were oppressed and exploited by bureaucratic landlords. Rebuilding the Temple Monument of Niu Shan Tuzhu Zhonghui King in Yuan Dynasty, the Tombstone in Qing Dynasty, and the tablet of Pingli religious case all recorded the fact that the Red Scarf Army uprising at the end of Yuan Dynasty and the broad masses of working people resisted exploitation and oppression and imperialist foreign aggression at the end of Qing Dynasty from different aspects.
A large number of stone classics in the forest of steles are important documents in ancient times. Shitai Xiaojing was engraved in the fourth year of Tang Tianbao (AD 745). Li Longji, Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, personally made a preface and annotated it, and wrote it in official script (The Xiaojing is a question and answer of Confucius students, mainly focusing on filial piety and filial piety). This monument consists of four exquisite stones, the color of which is black, and people can tell, and the height is 590 cm. The amount of tablets added. There is a stone on his forehead, and the edge of the stone is carved with beautiful cirrus clouds, and the top is like a mountain; There are three stone steps under the monument, so it is called "stone platform filial piety"; The three-story stone platform is carved with lifelike lines on all sides, with lush creeping weeds and mighty lion-shaped monsters. Two kinds of uncoordinated animals and plants are portrayed harmoniously, and the whole composition gives people a vigorous and lively feeling, which is the artistic essence of the prosperous Tang Dynasty. At the suggestion of Qin Zheng, imperial academy, in the fourth year of Tang Wenzong Taihe (AD 830), Ai Juhui and Marco wrote it in regular script. In the second year of Kaicheng (AD 837), it took about seven years to carve it into a stone sutra. Including six volumes of Zhouyi, Shangshu 13, Book of Songs 20, Zhou Li10, Book of Rites 17, Book of Rites 20 and Chunqiu Zuozhuan 30. This classic is the best preserved one among the seven ancient prints in China. Like a large stone library, it played an important role in the preservation and dissemination of culture before the invention of printing in China.
Xi 'an's forest of steles is not only a treasure house of oriental stone history and culture, but also a treasure house of calligraphy art, enjoying the reputation of "hometown of calligraphy art", which makes overseas people yearn for it. The early stone carvings in the forest of steles include the stone carvings of Qin Fengshan in the Song Dynasty. The original tablet was written by Li Si, the prime minister of Qin State. In the second year of Zhong Ping in the Eastern Han Dynasty (A.D. 185), the inscription "Cao Quanbei", with exquisite official script, is a well-preserved inscription with clear font among the Chinese steles, and is a fine work among the Chinese steles. Han Xi Shipingjing is the remnant stone of Zhouyi, which preserves the earliest sentence of Zhouyi in China. According to legend, Cai Yong, a famous scholar and great calligrapher at that time, wrote neatly in official script, which was a model of Han Li. The Tang Dynasty was the heyday of China's calligraphy art. In the hundred gardens of the Tang Dynasty, there were many famous artists and sometimes excellent works. Truth, grass, official script, seal script and flowers compete for beauty, just like bright stars, radiating eternal glory. Ou Yangxun, Yu Shinan, Chu Suiliang, Yan Zhenqing and Liu Gongquan all wrote regular script, and Ouyang Tong, Shi and Huai Su were also famous writers. Ouyang Tong's Monument to Master Daoyin is very similar to his father Ou Yangxun's Monument to Huangfushengchen, which is a famous calligrapher's monument with rigorous structure and dangerous calligraphy. Yan Zhenqing's Yan Liqin Monument, Yanjia Temple Monument and Multi-tower Induction Monument are magnificent and standard "Yan Ti". The Mysterious Tower of exorcist by Liu Gongquan is the most typical masterpiece of Liu Ti, with exquisite brushwork, neat structure and full charm. The Preface of Tang Sanzang, selected by monk Huairen from the ink left by Wang Xizhi in the Jin Dynasty, is even more famous. Huai Su, a famous cursive writer, wrote thousands of words with bold and unrestrained brushwork, fluent and free and easy, which is treasured by the world. In addition, Song Qi's Grand View Monument (in fine gold) and Song Chunhua's Secret Pavilion Post reprinted in the Qing Dynasty are also rare treasures.
In addition to calligraphy, a large number of exquisite patterns with artistic value were preserved on the inscriptions in the Northern Wei, Tang and Song Dynasties. For example, on both sides of the Tang Dynasty's "Monument to the Great Wisdom Zen Master", the patterns of line engraving and land restoration are decorated with creeping weeds, phoenixes and figures, which make people feel colorful, vivid, wonderful and lively; The cirrus clouds and lions embossed on the headstone of Shitai Xiaojing, and the exquisite creeping weeds and beasts carved on the pedestal also show the unique rich style of sculpture in the Tang Dynasty. In the Tang Dynasty, two groups of figures were carved on both sides of the pedestal of the Taoist master monument, with smooth lines. * * * At that time, there were a dozen people wearing strange clothes, with deep curly hair, leading horses and dogs, ready to travel, which was a rare masterpiece of line carving; The four sides of Yuan Yun's epitaph in the Northern Wei Dynasty are respectively engraved with the images of dragon gods, white tiger, suzaku and Xuanwu, and the gaps are full of flowing water, showing a unique elegant and harmonious artistic conception. Like the green forest, they set off colorful calligraphy art, making the forest of steles, a treasure house of calligraphy art, even more magnificent.
Entering the gate of Xi 'an Temple Forest of Steles, you can see a four-corner pavilion with two-story cornices, in which stands the famous "Shi Tai Xiao". This is a rectangular stone tablet, consisting of four stone slabs, with a height of 5. 1 m, which is placed on a three-story stone platform. The Book of Filial Piety is a classic to carry forward Confucianism, which was valued by feudal dynasties. In the fourth year of Tang Tianbao (AD 745), Li Longji, Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, personally added notes and wrote them in official script. The Stone Scripture of Kaicheng displayed in the first room was engraved in the second year of Kaicheng in Tang Wenzong (AD 837). 1 14 There are 650,525 words engraved on both sides of the stone tablet, which contains almost all Confucian classics, collectively known as the Thirteen Classics, including Zhouyi, Shangshu, The Book of Songs and The Analects of Confucius. At that time, rigid printing was not common and handwritten copies were easy to make mistakes, so Kaishi became a model for scholars. The second room shows many stone tablets with historical value. Chinese stele, a popular Nestorianism in Daqin, was founded in 78 1 year, and later generations excavated it from underground. This monument describes the grand occasion of the introduction of Nestorianism in ancient Rome into China, and the names of 70 Nestorianism believers are engraved on the side of the monument in Syrian. Historical facts recorded in stone tablets and Chinese and foreign historical books
There is no record at all, so it is precious. In the Qing Dynasty, helmer, a Dane, took the gold to Xi 'an and stole it, so he had to have the client carve a fake monument (existing in London). It is a valuable material for the study of Sino-foreign relations, and its rubbings have long been exported abroad. China-Nepal stupa is a kind of cylindrical stone carving, which has hexagonal, octagonal and cylindrical shapes. It is carved in China and Nepal, reflecting the Buddhist exchange between China and Nepal. Bukong monk tablet reflects the historical fact that Indian Buddhism was introduced into China. Mingde Monument records the peasant regime "Dashun State" established by Li Zicheng, a peasant uprising army in the late Ming Dynasty, and reflects the tragic situation of "cannibalism" in Shaanxi after the disaster. Cao Quanbei is a monument to Cao Quan in Han Dynasty, but it ruthlessly records the fact that he suppressed the Yellow turban insurrectionary uprising. The stone tablet in the third room contains the handwriting of famous calligraphers of past dynasties. Li Si's seal script of Qin Dynasty can be found in Yishan Monument. Cao Quanbei has official script of Han Dynasty. Wang Xizhi's calligraphy in the Eastern Jin Dynasty can be found in Tang Sanzang Shengjiao Monument, and later generations wrote it from his ink, which is called Qianjin Monument. "Tangduo Pagoda Induction Monument" is kept in regular script by Yan Zhenqing in Tang Dynasty; Liu Gongquan's regular script is left in the monument of the secret tower of Xuanzong in Tang Dynasty. Judging thousands of words left a cursive script of Zhang Xu in Tang Dynasty. In addition, Evonne in Song Dynasty, Huang Tingjian in Yuan Dynasty, Zhao Meng, Dong Qichang in Ming Dynasty and emperors in Qing Dynasty all wrote calligraphy. From here, we can see the development track of China characters and calligraphy. People who like calligraphy can buy photocopied tablets in the museum. Walking in the forest of steles, you can not only appreciate the beautiful art of calligraphy, but also see the exquisite patterns on the steles. For example, the stone carving art rooms and verandahs in the Qing Dynasty's "Guan Di Zhu Shi Tu Bei", the Ming Dynasty's "Kui Xing Fu Dou Tu Bei" and the Song Dynasty's "Tang Xing Qing Gong Tu" have collected stone carving treasures from all over Shaanxi, such as stone beasts and paintings from the Eastern Han Dynasty.
Elephant stone, squatting lion and rhinoceros in Tang Dynasty. The famous "Six Horses in Zhaoling" is still here. The stone lanterns of the Tang Dynasty displayed here are very eye-catching. The lamp is divided into nine layers, and the shape and pattern of the lamp shell are very beautiful. Stone lanterns along the "Spring Festival Shrine" near Nara, Japan are made by imitating this kind of Tang lanterns. In addition, a stone tomb door from the Eastern Han Dynasty was unearthed and moved here, as well as a sarcophagus from the Tang Dynasty. Music and dance of stars carved on stones, photos of ladies, civil servants painted in relief outside stones and people riding dragons and impatiens are all historical and artistic treasures. When you come to the forest of steles, don't forget that there is a Jing Yun clock with a height of 2.5 meters and a weight of 6 tons. Every year on New Year's Eve, the bells issued by CCTV come from this giant clock.