SHIJIAZHUANG, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- A stone tablet dating back to the Ming Dynasty (1384-1644) has been discovered in northern China's Hebei Province, according to local authorities.

With a height of 1.38 meters and width of 48 cm, the tablet was found in Nanhe County and has a history of 441 years, according to the county's cultural heritage administration.

A total of 518 characters were carved on the tablet, which recorded the history of a Fan family, as well as the local conditions of central and southern Hebei in the Ming Dynasty.

"The tablet has great historical value for studying the migration history, social and economic development, as well as folk customs in the region," said local history expert Lan Jianhui. Enditem