Located in Suzhou Confucian Temple and Prefectural School, Suzhou Museum of Inscribed Stone Tablets is a museum that specializes in collecting, researching, displaying and duplicating ancient stone inscriptions. Suzhou Prefecture School, built by the famous official Fan Zhongyan in the second year of Jingyou reign of Song Dynasty (1035), boasts a long history of more than 980 years. It was known as the best Prefectural School in Jiangnan. Some important architectures of it have remained, such as, Lingxing Gate, Ji Gate, Dacheng Hall, Chongsheng Shrine, Qixing Pond and Minglun Hall. Dacheng Hall, its main building with 7 rooms wide and 6 rooms deep, covers 600 square meters and is supported by 50 precious Nanmu columns. At present, the temple occupies 15,000 square meters, with a total floor area of 2,000 square meters.
In 1981, Suzhou Municipal Government allocated funds to restore the temple and built Suzhou Museum of Inscribed Stone Tablets on its original site which was officially opened to public in December 1986. It is home to a total of 7,309 collections, including more than 1,100 pieces of inscriptions and more than 2,000 volumes of reproductions and rubbings since Ming and Qing Dynasty, among which Four Great Inscribed Steles of Song Dynasty (Map of Pingjiang, Astronomical Map, Geographical Map and Emperors Linage Chart) listed among the first batch of Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level by the State Council, and the Inscriptions of Industrial and Commercial Economy of Suzhou in Qing Dynasty are the most representative. The museum also holds Epitaph for Mr Zhu Lepu by Mi Fu in Northern Song Dynasty, calligraphy works of Pure Thoughts with no Evil ·Justice Brings Brightness by Si Maguang, Story of Restoring Dacheng Hall in Wu Prefecture by Mi Youren in Southern Song Dynasty, Responding Poems of the Same Year by Fan Chengda as well as Story of Relearning Confucianism by Zhao Mengfu in Yuan Dynasty, and Inscriptions of the Names of Those who Passed the Civil Examinations in Wu Prefecture in Song Dynasty as well as Map of Suzhou Prefecture School in Ming Dynasty. Map of Pingjiang, the planar graph of Pingjiang in Southern Song Dynasty, is the oldest and most intact existing planar graph in China, and also among the oldest in the world. Astronomical Map is the oldest astrology chart in the east. Geographical Map, a political geography map in Song Dynasty, is one of the oldest existing national maps in China. Emperors Linage Chart is the only inscription of kings’ lineage diagram of ancient China.
The displays in Suzhou Museum of Inscribed Stone Tablets include Confucius Culture, Four Great Inscribed Steles of Song Dynasty, Calligraphy Inscription of Past Dynasties, Inscriptions of Industrial and Commercial Economy of Suzhou in Qing Dynasty, and Minglun Hall. There are also many cultural relics spots in the museum, such as Sickle Stone, Auspicious Stone and Ancient Gingko, etc. In 1956, Suzhou Confucian Temple was listed as a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the Provincial Level, and in 2001, Suzhou Confucian Temple and Stone Inscriptions, were listed as a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the Provincial Level by the State Council. In 1997, the museum was nominated as Patriotic Education Base of Jiangsu Province in 1997. Since 2004, the admission of the museum has been free for the public.
Opening hour: 8:30-16:00, closed on Mondays
Tel: 0512-65168070
E-mail：szwmbk@sina.com
Contact: Ms Liu
