Ancient Steles Discovered on Great WallFourteen pieces of 400-year-old steles were discovered recently on a section of the Great Wall near Shimenzhai Village, Funing county in north China's Hebei Province.These steles are located along a four kilometer length of the Great Wall, which lies on Mount Qingshi at an altitude of 600 meters. The steles are almost free from artificial damage thanks to the steepness of the area. The legible epigraphs record the construction history of that section of the Great Wall built between 1607 to 1608 in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Zhao Huanlai, a local expert on relics, said that the epigraphs contain a clear record of the conditions and scale of the construction, and list all of the officials who built and guarded the Great Wall there, during the time. "It also includes names of the plasterers and stonemasons, which are rarely recorded by other steles on the Great Wall." Zhao added. |
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