The Stele of Huashan Temple Image 15

The Huashan Temple Stele was erected in the 8th year of the Yanxi reign of Emperor Huan of the Eastern Han period (165). The temple was fitted out by Emperor Wu of the Western Han (r.140–87 BCE) for the ritual of sacrifice. It was originally located in the Huangshenshan Valley of Huashan, Shaanxi province, but was moved to Huayin County during the Eastern Han period. The inscription chronicles the sacrificial rites performed from Zhou to Han times. It also records the renovation of the temple, supervised by Yuan Feng and Sun Qiu, successive Prefects of Hongnong. It was the latter who was responsible for the erection of the stele.

This stone stele remained intact till the Ming period. It was damaged during the great earthquake of Shaanxi in the 34th year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming dynasty (1555) and was subsequently lost. Only limited rubbings of the original stele remain. Of the four widely-known extant rubbings, this Shunde Version appears to be the earliest, and most of its characters remain undamaged.

The characters, in clerical script, are composed in a well-balanced, square format. The refined yet forceful strokes show vestiges of versatility. Taken as a whole, this inscription is an example of solemn and dynamic calligraphy, a masterpiece of Eastern Han stele.

In 2016, the piece was listed in the “National Catalogue of Precious Ancient Books”.