A Journey Through History: Xi'an Beilin Museum (National First-Class)

Xi'an Beilin Museum was originally established in 1087 AD during the Northern Song Dynasty by Lü Dazhong and others to preserve famous stone steles such as the "Stone Platform Classic of Filial Piety," "Kaicheng Stone Classics," and works by calligraphers like Yan Zhenqing and Liu Gongquan, which were abandoned during the turmoil of the late Tang and Five Dynasties periods. Located at No. 15 Sanxue Street, Beilin District, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, inside the Wenchang Gate of the southern city wall, the museum covers a total area of 71,272 square meters, divided into eastern, western, and northern sections, with exhibition space tripled to 23,000 square meters. It is a specialized museum focused on collecting, displaying, and researching historical steles, epitaphs, and stone carvings.

The museum consists of temporary exhibition halls, stele pavilions, Confucian Temple, stone carving art rooms, stele display rooms, epitaph corridors, and stone carving art galleries. Its collections include stone carvings, calligraphy, paintings, and rubbings, with key artifacts such as the "Stone Platform Classic of Filial Piety," "Six Steeds of Zhaoling," and "Kaicheng Stone Classics."

Centered around the Confucian Temple's axis, the museum symmetrically features structures like screen walls, archways, Lingxing Gate, ornamental columns, and halberd gates, embodying the symmetry and order of traditional Chinese architecture, creating a solemn and dignified atmosphere. It blends various architectural styles—from the Tang Dynasty's original Confucian Temple site to multiple relocations and constructions during the Song Dynasty, and renovations and expansions in the Ming and Qing Dynasties—reflecting high historical and artistic value. The six stele pavilions along the path, built during the Qing Dynasty, house imperial victory steles inscribed by emperors, forming a unique architectural feature of Xi'an Beilin.

The museum houses over 11,000 cultural relics, including 134 national treasures (19 categories/groups) and 535 first-class artifacts, spanning steles, epitaphs, and stone carvings from the Han to Qing Dynasties. It has seven stele display rooms, eight epitaph display rooms, and one stone carving art room, showcasing steles and epitaphs from different periods. The first room primarily displays Confucian classics like the "Kaicheng Stone Classics," while the second room features renowned Tang Dynasty calligraphy steles, such as Yan Zhenqing's "Duobao Pagoda Stele" and Liu Gongquan's "Mysterious Tower Stele."

Post by KHLOE BOYD | Jun 29, 2025