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The
Museum of Beijing Stone Inscription Art is located in
the grounds of Five-Pagoda Temple, 200 meters north of
Beijing Zoo. The Five-Pagoda Temple, formally called Dazhengjue
Temple, is so called for the five small pagodas that rise
like diamonds from a square base below. The pagoda is
one of the few Indian-inspired “Diamond Throne”
pagodas in Beijing. The Stone Inscription Museum, arranged
on all four sides of the pagoda, is divided into six sections,
namely: comprehensive stone inscription, tablets of merits
and virtues, of epitaph, of calligraphy, of temples and
guildhalls, and stone carvings.
In
the comprehensive stone inscription area, there are two
huge carved tables that were made for emperors Qianlong
and Shunzhi of the Qing Dynasty.
The 12 tablets of merits and virtues applaud famous officials
and nobility of the Ming and Qing dynasties for their
good deeds and upright behavior.
In the epitaph section, there are 300 inscriptions on
tombstones from the Tang to Qing dynasties that had been
carved for imperial family members and high officials.
The tablets on calligraphy record works by famous calligraphers
in the last two imperial dynasties, and those for temples
and guildhalls collect inscriptions from provincial, industrial
and commercial associations.
Lastly in the stone carving section are the Yuan Dynasty
dragon and phoenix slabstones, as well as other statues
from the Ming and Qing dynasties.
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