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Yuanzi Stone Inscription

The Yuanzi Stone Inscription is located on the cliffs of the Dousha Pass, 20 kilometers southwest of Jinyan County, Yunnan Province.

The inscription sits on the left riverbank with another cliff located on the right. The two cliffs are like two river gateways, which is how the site got its name, Stone Gate Pass, during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). The site is also a pivotal point between Sichuan and Yunnan provinces. In 793 the King of Nanzhao sent envoys to plead for the administration under the Tang Dynasty after more than 40 years of rebellion. In 794, Yuan Zi, the envoy of the central Tang government, passed by the stone gate and inscribed the cliff.

The stone carving is 0.44 meters high and 0.36 meters wide. Its text is arranged in eight lines with three to 21 words per line. Altogether there are 122 characters inscribed from right to left in regular script. Yuan's signature is written in characters of the Han Style. The inscription is an important symbol of the improved relationship between the Tang government and Nanzhao. It also serves as an important reference for the study of Nanzhao's history.

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