History of Forest of Stone Steles Museum

The Forest of Steles was initially established in AD 1087 when some precious stone steles were moved here for safe keeping, including the "Classic on Filial Piety" written by Emperor Xuanzong in AD 745 and "the Kaicheng Stone Steles" arved in AD 837.
It is an enlargement to the Confucian Classics stone inscriptions in the Tang Dynasty. the "Classic on Filial Piety" ( stele engraved with the Canon of Filial Piety) and the "Kaicheng Stone Steles" ( steles engraved with the Confucian Classics) of the Tang Dynasty were originally kept in the Imperial Academy in Wu Ben District of Chang'an, the capital of the Tang Dynasty. ( in the vicinity of the present Wen Yi Street, southern Xi'an). In 904 AD the engraved Confucian Classics were moved inside the Wen Xuan Temple ( in the vicinity of the present She Hui Street of Xi'an).Due to poor environment, in the second year of Yuan You of the Song Dynasty, ( 1087 AD) on the suggestion of Lu Dazhong, all the Confucian Classics and other valued Tang steles were moved to the present site of the Forest of Steles under the auspices of Li Chi. Thus the foundation of the Forest of Steles was initially laid.

With the successive collections of Steles in the Song, Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, it was gradually renovated and expanded, making one feel among a forest of steles. But it was not until 1992 that , it was officially named as the Forest of Stone Steles Museum. Based on the design of Liang sicheng, China's well-known architect, the Forest of Steles was extensively renovated in 1937, and was completed in Feb. 1938, looking in the main the way it does today. With an area of 31,000 square meters, the Forest of Stone Steles used to be the principal museum for Shaanxi Province since 1944.

In March 1961, the State Council decreed that the Forest of Steles was among the first group of national cultural relics to be given special protection. Now it is an important part of the Shaanxi Provincial Museum. In 1982, the 7th Exhibition Hall of the Forest of Steles was established. Collections of Steles have been increased from 667 in the Qing Dynasty to over 2,000 steles, of which over 1,000 are open to the public. Seven exhibition halls, a pavilion covered with steles and six corridors for keeping epitaphs form a complete architectural complex of a unique style, making the Forest of Steles, a treasure trove of the art of calligraphy look all the more magnificent.

Xian Tour Routes Covers Forest of Stone Steles
XK-1. 2 Days Xian Tour
XK-2. 3 Days Xian Tour
XK-6. Xian 4 Days Tour of Terracotta Warrior and Mt. Hua
XH-1. Xian 2 Days Private Tour of Terracotta Warriors
XH-2. Xian 3 Days Package Tour
XH-3. 4 Days Organized Xian Tour of Terracotta Warrior
XH-5. 4 Days Xian Private Tour of Terracotta Warrior and Famen Temple
XH-6. 4 Days Xian Tour of Terracotta Warrior and Mt. Huashan


Photo of Stele Forest