Why is it said that Xi'an Forest of Steles is the largest treasure house of calligraphy art in my country?

The Forest of Steles is a cultural and artistic treasure house with the earliest collection of ancient steles in my country and the largest number of famous steles. Its founder was Lu Dazhong (a native of Lantian, Shaanxi Province), a famous official in the Northern Song Dynasty, who was the deputy envoy of Shaanxi Province at that time.

The Forest of Steles is not only one of the concentration points of stone carvings of ancient Chinese cultural classics, but also a gathering place for the calligraphy art of famous masters of the past dynasties. "Forest of Steles" is so named because the forest of steles stands like a forest and is so spectacular. The Forest of Steles has a history of more than 900 years and has become a well-known art treasure at home and abroad due to its unique collection.

The Forest of Steles in Xi'an was developed on the basis of preserving the stone scriptures of the Tang Dynasty. The Forest of Steles is not only famous for its long history, the large number of preserved steles, and its large scale, but more importantly, it is the inscriptions on these steles. Precious historical material value and calligraphy artistic value.

Picture of the Forest of Steles The Forest of Steles preserves the most complete set of stone-engraved books in China. They are twelve scriptures carved in the second year of Emperor Wenzong's reign (837 AD), with a total of 114 stones and 228 sides. Six hundred and fifty thousand, two hundred and fifty-two words. These scriptures are must-read books for intellectuals in my country's feudal society. Because it was carved during the Kaicheng period of the Tang Dynasty, it is also called the "Kaicheng Stone Classic".

The most magnificent stone stele in the Forest of Steles is the towering "Shitai Filial Piety Sutra". The stele is nearly six meters high. The top of the stele has a double-layered crown carved with cirrus clouds. The base of the stele is lined with carved lions and creepers. The three-story stone platform is composed of four huge stones. It is engraved with the "Book of Filial Piety" written and annotated in official script by Li Longji, Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty in the fourth year of Tianbao (745 AD), and the "Book of Filial Piety" written by him for the Book of Filial Piety. sequence.

There are many inscriptions in the Forest of Steles, which have precious historical value. For example, the Tang Dynasty's famous "Stele of the Popularity of Nestorianism in Daqin in China" records the edicts and rituals of Nestorianism (the Nestorian sect of ancient Roman Christianity), its spread in China, and the presence of Nestorian monks in the Tang Dynasty for 150 years. The side and bottom of the stele are engraved with ancient Syriac narratives and the names of many monks, which provide valuable historical information for the study of religious history and cultural exchanges between China and the West in ancient China. In the second year of Jianzhong of the Tang Dynasty (AD 781), the Monk Fu Kong Stele was written by Xu Hao, a famous calligrapher of the Tang Dynasty. The inscription records the history of the inheritance of Buddhist esoteric Buddhism and the appointment of Fu Kong as the national teacher of Xuanzong, Suzong and Daizong of the Tang Dynasty. Monk's achievements. In the second year of Tianbao in the Tang Dynasty (743 AD), the master of Dawenguo Temple, Sizhuang, etc., built the "Master Tang Chan Monument" to commemorate his master Huaiyun. The deeds of the Pure Land make up for the shortcomings of historical records in the past dynasties. The famous "Han Cao Quan Stele" records the uprising of the Yellow Turban Army in the late Eastern Han Dynasty and its activities in Heyang, Shaanxi. There are also facts such as "King Hede of Shule killed his father and usurped the throne", and "Hede died face to face", which can make up for and correct the shortcomings in the history books.

In the Forest of Steles in Xi'an, there are also a collection of more than 900 epitaphs from the Jin Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty. The purpose of epitaphs is to prevent changes in the mausoleum valley and changes in the vicissitudes of life. The name, place of origin, official position, life story, burial place, etc. of the deceased are carved on stones and bricks for future generations to review. The facts recorded in these epitaphs can be used to examine the similarities and differences in historical records, fill in the gaps in historical records, study the interactions between various ethnic groups and countries, verify the location of ancient counties, counties and villages, and understand the living customs of people at that time, etc.

The greatest attraction of the Forest of Steles to people is that it contains many masterpieces handed down by outstanding pioneers. For example, the "Cao Quan Stele" carved in the second year of Zhongping in the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 185) has round and refined strokes, and a neat and elegant body.

Among the famous steles preserved in the Forest of Steles, the Tang steles are the most prominent. The "Huangfu's Birthday Monument" written by Ouyang Xun is unique in its dangerous strength, steep layout, neat and elegant frame structure, and vigorous writing power. The "Preface to the Holy Religion of Tongzhou" written by Chu Suiliang is known as the writing style of iron and silver hooks. His calligraphy is smooth and colorful, vigorous and vigorous, and his appearance is exquisite and precious. Ouyang Xun's fourth son, Ouyang Tong, lost his father when he was young. He deliberately imitated his father's writings and succeeded in his father's teachings and surpassed them. Father and son had the same name, "Little and Big Ouyang". Among the stone carvings handed down from generation to generation, in addition to the "Epitaph of Quannan Nanshi" collected by the Kaifeng Museum in Henan Province, there is also the "Stele of Master Daoyin" collected in the Forest of Steles. His calligraphy is strong and rigorous in structure.

The Forest of Steles also preserves the Wutong Monument written by Yan Zhenqing, an outstanding calligrapher of the Tang Dynasty. Among them are "Duobao Pagoda Stele" written when he was forty-four years old; "Guojia Temple Stele" written when he was fifty-six years old; "Zanghuaike Stele" written around the age of sixty-two; and "Stele of Zanghuaike" written when he was seventy-one years old. "Yan Qin's Stele"; and "Yan Family Temple Stele" written when he was seventy-two years old. This gives us the privilege to appreciate the masterpieces of a great calligrapher in various periods over the past thirty years.

"Master Dada's Mysterious Pagoda Stele" is a masterpiece by Liu Gongquan, a famous calligrapher in the late Tang Dynasty. of praise.

The most famous calligraphy stele in the Forest of Steles is the Preface to the Tripitaka of the Tang Dynasty, which was engraved in the third year of Xianheng of the Tang Dynasty (AD 672). 》. Huaisu wrote "Thousand-Character Essay in Cursive Script". In the Tang Dynasty, seal script was led by Li Yangbing, who was praised as "like an ancient hairpin leaning on objects, it has great power. After Li Si, there is only one person". His seal script "Three Tombs" and "Xian Tombs" are written in a reasonable and orderly manner.

There are also some eye-catching stone carvings in the Forest of Steles, which make the Forest of Steles even better.

For example, "Tang Wangwei's Bamboo Painting" engraved in the sixth year of Yuanyou in the Song Dynasty (AD 1091) has won people's love for its upright and unrestrained posture, elegance and elegance. "Dharma's Journey to the East" and "Dharma Facing the Wall" engraved in the Ming Dynasty were written by monk Fengdian from Xi'an. The pictures are freehand with thick lines and some parts are detailed with fine brushwork. They depict the pious image of an Indian monk and his vivid and vivid expression. .

Xi'an Forest of Steles Museum, formerly known as Shaanxi Provincial Museum, was built in 1944. It is an art museum based on the "Xi'an Forest of Steles" with a history of more than 900 years and expanded by using the ancient buildings of the Confucius Temple in Xi'an. It mainly collects, studies and displays steles, epitaphs and stone sculptures from past dynasties. The museum area is composed of three parts: the Confucius Temple, the Forest of Steles, and the Stone Carving Art Room, covering an area of ??31,900 square meters. It currently has more than 11,000 cultural relics in the collection, 11 exhibition rooms, and a display area of ??4,900 square meters.

So it is the largest treasure house of calligraphy art in China