Collection of couplets from the Stele of King Gao of Jin and Goryeo

Author: Liu Yunfeng
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2002-09-01
Features: The Collection of couplets from the Jin and Goguryeo Haodao Stele is abbreviated as Haodao Stele, also known as Haotaiwang Stele. It lacks an inscribed date, but according to research, it was likely erected in the 10th year of the Yixi period of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (AD 414). It was discovered in the early years of the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty (1875) by Zhang Yue, the administrative officer of Huairen County, Jilin, and Guan Yueshan, an enthusiast of inscriptions and stone carvings. The stele stands six meters tall and is inscribed on all four sides, making it one of the largest extant steles. Since its discovery, it has attracted the attention of scholars, but due to its remote location, it was difficult to access, and its poor stone quality made it hard to carve, leading to errors being passed down. However, in terms of calligraphy, it has a unique style and is highly valued by later generations. Its calligraphy blends clerical and regular scripts, with a square, thick, and robust style. The brushwork often hides the tip and enters from the reverse, appearing calm and profound, yet it is spontaneous and adapts to the flow, with straight but not rigid strokes. The structure is original and distinctive, unconstrained in size, varying within squareness, and combining dignity with liveliness. The layout is naturally irregular yet seems effortlessly natural. Qing Dynasty scholar Ye Changchi noted in Yushi: "The characters on the stele are as large as bowls, square and sturdy, blending clerical and regular scripts." Qing Dynasty scholar Rong Xi commented: "The script mixes seal and clerical scripts, with many simplified characters,, resembling Wei Dynasty steles but surpassing them in calligraphy—truly precious." "The regular script has only two or three elements, while the seal and clerical scripts still dominate six or seven—mirroring the transition from clerical to regular scripts in the Jin Dynasty, when the change was imminent but not yet complete." Kang Youwei in Guang Yishu Shuji wrote: "Like the carvings in the old Goguryeo city or the inscriptions of the Silla inspectors, originating from distant lands and foreign influence, yet their beauty surpasses all ancient and modern works."