Xi’an Beilin Museum 西安碑林博物馆

I visited it in Mar 2024, about a year before it completed its latest renovation and expansion. What a pity as it’s one of my bucket list of museums to visit.

Xi’an Beilin Museum 西安碑林博物馆, aka Stele Forest Museum, is one of many museums with a collection of steles and stone carvings around the country. But it has some of the most valuable steles and stone rubbings in existence.

With an overall length of 13.74 km, Xi’an City Wall is the oldest and best preserved ancient city fortification in the world. Adjacent to Xi’an City Wall, it was the location of the first museum established in Shaanxi Province (as the original site of Shaanxi Provincial History Museum 陝西省歷史博物館 in 1944).

Xi’an Confucius Temple

It is located inside the South Gate of Xi’an City Wall, was built based on Xi’an Confucius Temple dating to 1087 (北宋元祐二年). As the Mecca for Chinese calligraphy lovers, the museum is a key venue of stone steles and epitaphs spanning 2,000 years. The many tall stone steles stand next to each other, like a forest, thus the name Stele Forest Museum. The two characters 孔廟 on the external wall was written by late Qing calligrapher Liu Hui 劉暉 (courtesy name Chun Gu 春谷, 1851–1926). ¹

Sanxuejie Historic Conservation Area 三学街歷史文化街区 is the most famous cultural and educational centre in Shaanxi during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and among them, the “One Temple, Three Schools” 「一廟、三学」³. The area is centred around the Stele Forest Museum, which combines cultural relics, historical sites, calligraphy, painting, art, and stone carvings, making it a representative of Xi’an’s traditional culture and education and a concrete example of Xi’an’s modern urban development.

Originally built in the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) as part of the Imperial College, it retains classic Ming and Qing Dynasty architectural elements like towering archways, the Lingxing Gate, and symmetrical courtyards, reflecting traditional Chinese temple design.

Gateway of Universal Vitality 太和元气坊

This was built in the 20th year of Emperor Wanli of Ming Dynasty (1592), originally with four words “Tai He Yuan Qi” “太和元气” written on, which means the essence of Confucianism and even the whole human thought.⁴

Pan Pools 泮池

According to The Book of Rite under The Royal Regulations⁵, the school attended by the emperor is called Bi Yong 辟雍 and is surrounded by a moat⁶. The school of the marquises is called Pan Gong 泮宫, and can have a semicircular pool called the Pan Pools 泮池. It’s an iconic pool in the axial line of the Confucius Temple.

Between the pools is a stone bridge which in ancient China, new students must cross it before consecrating to Confucius. Hence to enter a school for studies is also known as “entering the Pan” “入泮”. ⁷

Lingxing Gate 棂星门

Lingxing Gate 棂星门 is the main gate to the Confucius Temple. The earliest known reference for Lingxing Gate is in the Yingzao Fashi 《營造法式》(1103)⁸. The gate was built with two openings in Yuan Dynasty and then transformed into three openings in Qing Dynasty.⁹

The Chinese characters, “Wen Miao” 文庙 (“Temple of Literature”, commonly referred to as Confucius Temple), are inscribed on the top of central opening, “De Pei Tian Di” 德配天地 (Virtue matches heaven and earth) on the left and “Dao Guan Gu Jin” 道冠古今 (Moral tops the past and future) on the right, which all praise the morality and wisdom of Confucius.¹⁰

The Halberd Gate 戟门

The Halberd Gate is a key element of the Confucius Temple, which adheres to traditional Chinese architectural principles of central axis and symmetrical layout. The name “Laying Halberd Gate” likely refers to the practice of guards laying down their halberds when not on active duty or as a symbolic demarcation within the palace complex.

On each side of the Laying Halberd Gate stand two national treasures: the Jingyun Bell 景云钟 and the Stone Horse of the Daxia Period 大夏石马, with histories of approximately 1300 and 1600 years, respectively. The inscription on the Jingyun Bell was written by Emperor Ruizong of the Tang Dynasty (唐睿宗李旦), earning it the title of “China’s Greatest Bell.” Previously hung on the Xi’an Bell Tower, its chimes are still broadcasted on television every Chinese New Year’s Eve at midnight to this day.

Stele Pavilion 碑亭

In the courtyard between the Halberd Gate 戟门 (小殿) and Dacheng Hall 大成殿 along the central axis stand six symmetrical stele pavilions 碑亭 built in the late Qianlong period of Qing Dynasty. In these pavilions stand the Qing emperors Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong steles that record the war that pacified the separatist forces in the northwest.¹¹

The Dacheng Hall was destroyed by a fire caused by lightning in 1959, and its foundation was demolished in the 1970s and turned into the Stele Forest Square.¹² The square was closed for renovation when I visited in Mar 2024.

Parts of a Stele

In ancient China, emperors would organise craftsmen to engrave important Chinese literature and books on stone tablets for preservation. Stone steles have both historical and artistic value. The historical value lies in inscriptions which may be articles and works of historical figures, the life of the tomb owners, or records of historical events such as emperors’ achievements, military conquests, and infrastructure construction. The artistic value lies mainly in calligraphy. 

The head has both decorative and identification functions. Common shapes include Chishou 螭首: dragon-shaped relief and Guishou 圭首: pointed triangle head. Some early monuments have a hole in the upper part (like Stele of Cang Jie), which is said to be for threading ropes to help with coffin burying.

The body is always engraved with the inscription, chronology, signature, etc. The base part is for load-bearing and also has symbolic meanings. The most common is the turtle base.

The term bixi became associated with the stele-carrying tortoises no later than the Ming dynasty. Bixi 赑屃 is a figure from Chinese mythology. One of the nine sons of the Dragon King, he is depicted as a dragon with the shell of a turtle. Stone sculptures of Bixi have been used in Chinese culture for centuries as a decorative plinth for commemorative steles and tablets.

Highlights of Beilin Museum

I visited the museum at a bad time as almost all of the stone carvings were in storage. Only posters adorned the corridors to show what the halls once displayed in them.

There were seven exhibition halls displaying different themes. The core exhibition halls housed the treasure of museum, the “Kaicheng Stone Sutra” 开成石经 (a Tang Dynasty cultural relic). And then there was a hall of the imperial stone steles from Eastern Han to Yuan dynasties.

Other exhibitions include buddhist sculptures, calligraphic stone carvings, and funerary stone carvings and sarcophagus. One item not to be missed is the stone sarcophagus of a six year-old girl named Li Jingxun, the granddaughter of the empress of Sui. The artefacts are now on display in National Museum of China.

Stone Rubbings

Because the main part of the museum was under renovation, most of the steles and stone carvings were not displayed. Only a collection of rubbings were temporary displayed in the annex halls. The renovation completed in May 2025.¹⁵

The annex buildings known as “The Two Wings” 二庑 (wǔ), aka 两庑 or 廊庑, were once used to house the consecration of the 72 disciples of Confucius. The rooms are used today as the temporary exhibition halls.

Stone Tablet of the Classic of Filial Piety 「石台孝经」

李隆基作序，注释并书写｜唐天宝四载（745）

The Stone Sutra is made of four rectangular steles with a relief cloud pattern on the top and an exquisitely decorated three-storey stone platform on the bottom, and is at a height of 590 centimetres and a width of 120 centimetres. This monument was presided over by Prime Minister Li Linfu and Minister of Education Li Qigu, and was engraved in the fourth year of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang Dynasty, Li Longji, Tianbao (745).¹⁶

The Classic (Book) of Filial Piety 《孝经》is a dialogue between Confucius and his students about filial piety. Emperor Xuanzong of Tang Dynasty, Li Longji’s calligraphy is graceful and gorgeous, and it is known as “Kai script” which you can still find in computer fonts. This stele was first carved in the Imperial College 国子监 in Chang’an (old name for Xi’an), and was moved many times before resting at its current site. It is one of the earliest collections of Xi’an stele forest.¹⁷

Kaicheng Stone Sutras 开成石经

This is the piece de resistance of the museum collection, the Kaicheng Stone Sutras. The name comes from the fact that it was carved in the year 837 during the Kaicheng era of Tang Dynasty. It contains 12 books/classics or the official textbooks of ancient imperial examinations. A 13th book was added in 1664 by Emperor Kangxi of Qing Dynasty to complete the collection of “13 Classics”.

In the days before printing was invented, these stone carvings were the “official versions” of the textbooks. Students from all over the realm will copy from or take rubbings off these carvings. There were seven versions on historical records, but Kaicheng version is the most complete and intact version to these modern days. It is also the earliest stone carving to come into the museum collection (during the Northern Song dynasty, 960–1127). ¹⁸

Nestorianism Spread in China Stele 大秦景教流行中國碑

Tang dynasty in the year 781 AD  唐建中二年（公元781年）

Blessed Character in One Stroke 一笔『福』

郭修文书，王鸿远、赵元摹｜清康熙年间（1662—1722）

Many calligraphers have attempted to write the Chinese character for “Blessed” 『福』 in one stroke to symbolise “continuous blessing”. This is one of the most copied version written between 1662 to 1722, during the long reign of Kangxi. On the stele’s back is the character for longevity 「壽」, which was most likely written at a different time but carved on the same stele for auspicious meanings.

Besides the character, there were many preludes written by poets and collectors at different eras²⁰, making it a precious piece of art because of its continuity in collection, guaranteeing its authenticity, in what we refer to as “传承有序”, or “orderly inheritance”.

Calligraphy Works of Ma Dezhao 马德昭

Ma Dezhao 马德昭, courtesy name Ziming 自明 (1824—1890), native of Langzhong, Sichuan, was a militarist, calligrapher and artist of the late Qing dynasty period. He joined the military and was promoted to the Admiral of Guyuan (in Gansu), when he successfully suppressed the Hui people’s uprising during early years of Tongzhi (r. 1861-1875) in Xi’an. He was slandered by his political opponent and decided to retire back to Sichuan in 1873.²¹

Tiger in a single stroke 一笔『虎』

Rubbing｜5th Year of Qing Tongzhi Reign (1866)｜Calligraphy by Ma Dezhao 马德昭书 清同治五年（1866）

A coherent “tiger” character, the pen is neat and dashing, showing the free spirit in the writer’s heart. At the type of the character is the seal 「欽賜安勇巴圖魯」or “Baturu (Brave Warrior in Manchurian) By Royal Decree”, which was bestowed by Emperor Tongzhi for Ma’s military contributions. ²²

Expansion

The newly expanded building is located on the north side of the Confucian Temple, surrounded by the historical district of Sanxue Street and adjacent to the ancient city wall of Xi’an.

The North Museum, with one floor above ground and two underground, was built to house and display more treasures. After its construction, the number of collections in Stele Forest Museum has been expanded from previous 11,000 to 14,000.

All photos take Beilin Museum Mar 2024, unless otherwise indicated.

I was quite disappointed during my visit because of the renovation, but I still managed to get a glimpse of some of the most beautiful rubbings of the steles and carvings in the Beilin Museum collection. In fact, it is easier to look and admire at the rubbings as they are clearer and easier to observe than the actual stones. You can even buy some of the original rubbings from the gift shops.

Xi’an Beilin Museum 西安碑林博物馆
No.15, Sanxue Street, Beilin District, Xi’an City, Shaanxi Province
陕西省西安市碑林区三学街15号

Opening Hours : Tuesday to Sunday, 9am to 5pm (Closed on Mondays)

Footnotes :

1.  西安碑林博物馆是在西安孔庙古建筑群的基础上扩建起来的，其前身可以追溯到唐贞观初年建于长安国子监的孔子庙堂，受唐末五代战乱影响，孔庙几度搬迁，最终在北宋崇宁二年（1103）迁置现址。如今的西安孔庙保留了明清时期孔庙建筑群的基本规模和标志性建筑：高大的牌坊、古朴的泮池、肃穆的棂星门、庄严的戟门，无不反映着孔庙昔日的壮观和辉煌。现博物馆门外“照壁”上“孔庙”两个大字，是由清末陕西著名书西家刘晖(字春谷)所书。https://www.beilin-museum.com/index.php?m=home&c=View&a=index&aid=163, accessed 11 January 2026 ↩︎
2. 拴马桩，是西安碑林博物馆在陕西关中地区民间征集而来的。它们造型各异，高一般都在240厘米至270厘米之间，由桩顶、桩颈、桩身、桩基四部分组成。大多数是四方柱或八方柱形，桩顶以圆雕形式雕刻栩栩如生的动物或人物造型，配以卷草纹、云水纹、斜线纹等装饰性图案，生动形象，格外引人注目。 明清时期，在陕西关中渭北高原一带的民间，广泛流行雕拴马桩，竖立于住宅大门的两侧。这些拴马桩既能拴马，又是一种装饰。一般都以动物的形象为主要题材，也有人物或植物的造型为题材的，属于民间石刻。https://www.beilin-museum.com/index.php?m=home&c=View&a=index&aid=200, accessed 10 Jan 2026 ↩︎
3. 三学街歴史文化街区は陝西省明清時代の最も有名な文化教育中心であり、その中で「孔、西安府学、成寧県学、長安県学」で構成された「一廟、三学」は西安都市の文脈の重要な継続である。地域内では国家級文物保護単位「碑林」を核心とし、文物古跡、書画芸術と碑刻などを一体とし、西安伝統文化教育の代表と西安近代都市発展の実物例証となっている。Museum information, Mar 2024 ↩︎
4. 太和元气坊是明清孔庙的标配建筑。西安孔庙之太和元气坊始建于明代万历二十年（1592），原坊上书有“太和元气”四字。“太和元气”寓意孔子思想是人类思想的精华之源。Museum information, Mar 2024 ↩︎
5. 《礼记·王制》：“大学在郊，天子曰辟雍，诸侯曰泮宫。” ↩︎
6. 
   The moat around the Bi Yong Hall 辟雍殿, Beijing Imperial College 国子监 ↩︎
7. 泮池是古代孔庙中轴线前端的标志性水池，西安孔庙的泮池始建于宋代。根据周礼，天子之学称“辟雍”，四周环水，水池为圆形；诸侯之学，只可南面泮水，水池呈半圆形，称“泮宫”。泮池中有泮桥，古代新生入学，要通过泮桥进入孔庙拜谒孔子，故入学又称“入泮”。Museum information, Mar 2024 ↩︎
8. Lingxingmen is an elaborate gateway with a form similar to wutoumen 烏頭門. Usually, a lingxingmen is used at the entrance of ritual architectural complexes, such as the Wenmiao (Temple of Literature), sacrificial altars to the spirits of Heaven and Earth, and other religious complexes. The term lingxingmen was used beginning in the Northern Song dynasty.
   
   https://architecturasinica.org/keyword/k000182, accessed 11 January 2026 ↩︎
9. 棂星门是正式进入孔庙的第一道大门。“棂星” 是二十八宿之一，古代皇帝祭天，要先祭棂星。文庙修棂星门，象征祭孔如同祭天，亦暗喻孔子犹如天上施行教化、广育英才的棂星。西安孔庙棂星门，始建于元代，原为两门，清代改为三门。中门额题“文庙”，东门额题“德配天地”，西门额题“道冠古今”，赞颂孔子的道德与智慧。Museum information, Mar 2024 ↩︎
10. 棂星门是正式进入孔庙的第一道大门。“棂星” 是二十八宿之一，古代皇帝祭天，要先祭棂星。文庙修棂星门，象征祭孔如同祭天，亦暗喻孔子犹如天上施行教化、广育英才的棂星。西安孔庙棂星门，始建于元代，原为两门，清代改为三门。中门额题“文庙”，东门额题“德配天地”，西门额题“道冠古今”，赞颂孔子的道德与智慧。Museum information, Mar 2024  ↩︎
11. 在戟门(小殿)和大成殿之间沿路两侧有六座碑亭。这些碑亭相继建于清代，其中碑文记载了康熙、乾隆年间平定西北分裂割据势力的战争。
    Museum information, Mar 2024  ↩︎
12. Confucius Temple in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province
    From：新华网Author： 2024-04-08 15:08
    https://www.chinakongzi.org/English/WorldConfucianTemple/202404/t20240408_572400.htm, accessed 12 January 2026 ↩︎
13. Stele of an Imperial Edict 加圣号诏碑
    Stone | Calligraphy and Postscript by Zhao Shiyan |2nd year of Huangqing Period, Yuan Dynasty (1313) | Xi’an Beilin Museum Collection. 石刻｜赵世延书并跋 ｜元皇庆二年（1313）｜碑林博物馆藏
    此碑上截刻元大德十一年（1307）朝廷加封孔子为“大成至圣文宣王”的皇帝圣旨，下截是当时的中奉大夫、陕西诸道行御史台侍御史赵世延记述此事的跋文。
    Museum information, Mar 2024 ↩︎
14. Stele of Anxi Prince Shengde 皇子安西王盛德之碑
    Stone | Composed by Meng Wenchang, Calligraphy by Pusan Zuying, Top Inscription by Luo Tianxiang | 14th year of Zhiyuan Period, Yuan Dynasty 1277) | Xi’an Beilin Museum Collection. 石刻｜元至元十四年（1277）｜孟文昌撰 仆散祖英书 骆天骧篆额 ｜碑林博物馆藏
    此碑记述了元至元十年（1273）安西王到陕后的施政举措，深得百姓称颂。篆额者骆天骧，曾任京兆路儒学学正，所撰《类编长安志》是研究金元两代西安历史地理的重要史料。
    Museum information, Mar 2024 ↩︎
15. The renovation of Beilin Museum completed in May 2025 and transformed it into a much larger complex with an expanded collection of over 2,000 relics, enhancing its status as a major cultural site for Chinese calligraphy and history. The renovation involved developing new areas like the North Zone, revitalizing the historic Sanxue Street area, and significantly increasing display capacity beyond the original complex, making it a catalyst for local urban renewal. ↩︎
16. 《石台孝经》，由四块高590厘米、宽120厘米的长方形巨石结体而成。碑首、碑身、碑座共用35块巨石组合起来。此碑由宰相李林甫、国子祭酒(主管教育的官员)李齐古主持，于唐玄宗李隆基天宝四年(745)镌刻而成。
    碑首上雕刻着瑞兽神龙，上下刻涌云似乎神龙蜿蜒飞舞在万里云海之中。碑座由线刻双狮和蔓草纹饰的三层石台垒起，显得庄重魁伟、富丽堂皇，线条和谐，气象不凡。碑额是唐肃宗李亨的篆书 “大唐开元天宝圣文神武皇帝注孝经台”16字。
    碑文是由唐玄宗李隆基亲自作序、注释，并以自己喜爱的八分隶体书写的《孝经》，所以称为《石台孝经》。字体雍容华贵，端庄大方。
    《孝经》是儒家经典十三经之一。是孔子的学生曾参记述他与孔子的问答之辞，主要讲“孝”、“悌”二字。唐玄宗为《石台孝经》写序的目的就是为了表明自己以“孝道”治天下的决心。https://www.beilin-museum.com/index.php?m=home&c=View&a=index&aid=2580, accessed 12 Jan 2026 ↩︎
17. 《孝经》是孔子与学生曾参关于孝道的对谈语录。唐玄宗李隆基的隶书雍容华丽，世称『开元体』。碑身由四石合成，上有浮雕云纹碑额，下有刻饰精美的三层石台，造型宏伟庄重。此碑刻立之始立于国子监『庙学以西明堂前』，后经多次搬迁移存现址，是西安碑林最早的藏品之一。 ↩︎
18. 唐开成二年（837）刊刻完成的《周易》《尚书》《诗经》《周礼》《仪礼》《礼记》《春秋左氏传》《春秋公羊传》《春秋谷梁传》《孝经》《论语》《尔雅》十二部儒家经典，共一百一十四石，二百二十八面，史称 “开成石经”。清康熙三年（1664）补刻《孟子》，与“开成石经” 同室陈列，合称“十三经”。“开成石经”是中国古代七次儒家经典刻石中时代较早且保存基本完好的一部，也是北宋时首批移入碑林的重要石刻。 ↩︎
19. 『大秦』是中国古代对罗马帝国的称谓，『景教』是基督教聂斯脱利派传入中国后的名称。碑文记述了景教的教旨、仪式，以及自贞观年间景教传入中国后一百多年的活动情况，并有用古叙利亚文刻写的僧徒题名。此碑为研究古代中外文化交流和基督教在中国的早期传播提供了宝贵资料，是闻名海内外的世界四大名碑之一。碑石原立于唐长安大秦寺，明天启五年（1625）于西安城西出土，清光绪三十三年（1907）移存西安碑林。 ↩︎
20. 图居中为一笔写就的『福』字，寓意『福气不断』，另有王鸿远、许汝霖、许其光、赵嘉肇等人诗文跋语。此碑两面刻字，一面刻“福”字，王鸿远摹，并有王鸿远、许汝霖、许其光、赵嘉肇等人诗文跋语；另一面刻“寿”字，赵元摹，并有赵元、谢湘如、秦焕三人诗文跋语。“福” “寿”二字正上方，均钤印“指挥官印”，似为郭修文官职。许汝霖，字时庵，康熙间官至礼部尚书。  ↩︎
21. 马德昭（1824—1890），四川阆中人，字自明。初从向荣军，由参将升任固原提督。同治间回民起义围西安，甘肃提督马德昭三守西安，使其免遭战祸。多隆阿诬马德昭坐守省城，不援同蒲，降总兵。愤而求去，夺职归田。善书法，西安碑林藏其所书碑刻多种。https://baike.baidu.com/item/马德昭/6859676, accessed 13 Jan 2026 ↩︎
22. 一笔『虎』字，酣畅淋漓，雄强稳健’笔势飞劲，神气十足。 ↩︎
23. 此碑所书『寿』字，由『九十九』与『廿一』两个数目组合而成，取花甲重周之意。 ↩︎
24. 古代科举以五经取士，每经首选一人成为『魁』，所以当时学官多筑有魁星楼，塑造魁星点斗像奉祀。此图以儒家提倡的『正心修身，克己复礼』八字组成魁星形象，一脚翘起托一『斗』字，一脚立『鳖』字上，取『魁星点斗、独占鳖头』之意，形象生动，拼字巧妙。 ↩︎
25. https://architizer.com/idea/3871202/, accessed 12 Jan 2026 ↩︎