"Master Gen's Stele of Maming Temple", also known as "Maming Temple Stele", was erected in Dawangqiao, Dong'an County, Shandong Province in the fourth year of Zhengguang's reign in the Northern Wei Dynasty. The main text of the inscription has a total of twenty-two lines, with thirty characters in each line. The forehead of the stele is convex, with three characters "Maming Temple" written in Yin on the top, and "Tombstone of Master Wei Gugen" written in Yang on the bottom. The inscription records Master Gen's life and deeds.
This stele began to have broken lines after the mid-Qing Dynasty, and it was broken into three pieces during the Xianfeng and Tongzhi years.
At the beginning of the 20th century, copying of Wei stele fonts was popular. Although the writing style of this stele has not become mainstream, it is unique. The structure of the font is compact and dense, with left and right sides suppressed and raised horizontally. The strokes are plump and thick, with square turns and waves. It is full and sharp, with arcs on the side, sweep and bay hooks. It can be said that the contrast between square and circle is full of changes, and the combination of hardness and softness is wonderful.
