Ouyang Xun's official rubbing of the Tang Dynasty "The Stele of Fang Yanqian, the Governor of Xuzhou", the full title is "The Inscription and Preface to the Stele of Linzi Dinggongfang Gong, the Governor of Xuzhou and the Five Prefectures in the Tang Dynasty". It was engraved in the fifth year of Zhenguan in the Tang Dynasty (631). The seal script on the front of the stele reads " "Stele of Fang Gong, the Former Governor of Xuzhou in the Tang Dynasty" has 9 characters, and the main text is in official script (also in regular script). Fang Yanqian's monument stands in front of Fang Yanqian's tomb in Zhaoshan, northeast of Caishi Township, Licheng District, Jinan City, Shandong Province. The "Fang Yanqian Monument" has experienced wind, rain, and man-made damage for more than 1,300 years. The writing has been severely eroded, and very few words have been preserved to this day. This monument was listed as a provincial key cultural relic protection unit in 1977.
Fang Yanqian (547-615), courtesy name Xiaochong, was a native of Qinghe. Fang Yanqian was well versed in classics and history, good at articles and calligraphy. He served as Sili governor in the Sui Dynasty. He was the father of Fang Xuanling, the famous prime minister of the Tang Dynasty.
"Fang Yanqian Monument"
The full name of "Fang Yanqian Stele" is "Inscriptions and Prefaces to the Stele of Duke Dingfang Gong, Linzi Dinggong, the Governor of Xuzhou, Five Prefectures of the Tang Dynasty, and the Military and Xuzhou Governor of Xuzhou". It was engraved in the fifth year of Zhenguan in the Tang Dynasty (631). The inscription has 36 lines and 78 characters. There are 13 characters in seal script on the front of the stele, "Stele of Fang Gong, the Governor of Xuzhou in the Tang Dynasty" in seal script and 9 characters in seal script. The main text is in official script. The "Fang Yanqian Monument" is now located in front of Zhaoshan Fang Yanqian's tomb in Northeast Xiaolongtang Village, Caishi Township, Licheng District, Jinan City, Shandong Province.
Fang Yanqian, courtesy name Xiaochong, was born in Qinghe. "The seventh generation ancestor Chen, Taiwei of Yan, followed the Murong family to the south and lived in Qi Shang. During the Jiazhong period of Song and Yuan Dynasties, the western part of Qi County was located in East Jizhou, and Dongqinghe County Jimu County was still a native of this county."
Ouyang Xun entered the Tang Dynasty in his seventies, and his calligraphy skills were already proficient. However, there are very few extant official script works. The two extant works are "Fang Yanqian Stele" and the other is "Zong Sheng Guan Ji". Tang Wude It was inscribed in the ninth year (626) of Zhouzhi, Shaanxi Province, but the extant one is a copy of the stele inscribed in the Yuan Dynasty. Therefore, "Fang Yanqian Stele" is extremely rare in European books, and it is also an early Tang stone carving treasure that exists in Shandong, so it is extremely precious.
