Shou Qiu

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Coordinates: 35°36′18″N 117°1′55″E / 35.60500°N 117.03194°E / 35.60500; 117.03194

A panorama of the site, seen from the south. The western stele (Qing Shou Bei) on the left, the eastern stele (Wan Ren Chou Bei) on the right.

Shou Qiu (Chinese: 寿丘; pinyin: Shòu Qiū; literally "Longevity Hill") is a historical site on the eastern outskirts of the city of Qufu in Shandong Province, China. According to the legend, Shou Qiu is the birthplace of the Yellow Emperor.

The site features two giant turtle-borne steles with a small lake between them. The western stele is known as the "Qing Shou" Stele (Chinese: 庆寿碑; pinyin: Qìng Shòu Bēi; literally "Celebrate Longevity Stele"); the eastern stele as the "Wan Ren Chou" Stele (Chinese: 万人愁碑; pinyin: Wàn Rén Chóu Bēi; literally "Sorrow of Ten Thousand Stele"), supposedly because it took so many people to move it.[1] The site's memorial to the Yellow Emperor was built in 1012 CE, during the Xuanhe era of the Huizong Emperor of the Song Dynasty.[2] The steles were also carved on site during the time, but were left lying on the ground unfinished, because the Song Dynasty lost control of the area[2] to the invading Jurchens in the Jin–Song wars.

After suffering further damage during the Cultural Revolution, the steles were restored in 1992. Missing fragments that could not be located had to be replaced; some say that this resulted in some changes of the giant tortoises' appearance: according to a knowledgeable local guide, "the older claws were sharper and showed more strength. The newer replicas are flabby and lack character."[1]

With more than 16 metres (52 ft) in height, the steles are among the tallest in China. The "Wan Ren Chou" Stele, which (including the turtle base and the dragon crown) is 16.95 m tall, 3.75 m wide, 1.14 m thick, and weighs 250 tons, is often said to be the largest blank stele in China.[1][3][4]

  • The Qing Shou Stele

  • The Qing Shou Stele, close-up

  • The Wan Ren Chou Stele

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Pauline D Loh, "Sons of the Yellow Emperor". 2011-07-31, China Daily. (This appeared in the hard copy of the newspaper on 2011-08-01)
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Peter Valder, Gardens in China, Timber Press, 2002, p. 111
  3. ↑ 山东之最 (Shandong's "Firsts")
  4. ↑ The sizes are also given in the 少昊陵 (Shao Hao Ling) article on Baidu.com
  5. ↑ 韩王墓 (Tombs of Princes Han).
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