Complete Collection of Stone Carvings at Shimen

Author: Guo Rongzhang (Compiler)
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2001-09-01
Features:
1. The book contains 239 illustrations, with numbers 1 to 36 listed separately in the plate directory, while numbers 37 to 239 are noted with their corresponding page numbers in the main text. For example, the inscriptions by Duan Conglong and others in the "Tourist Inscriptions at Shimen" (Sections 2 and 3, Plate 43, etc.).
2. In the main text index, entries without plate numbers only include preserved texts without illustrations, such as the inscriptions of Song Jizhi and others from the Southern Song Dynasty during the Qinyuan era. Since both the original carvings and the rubbing prints are lost, only the text is provided on page 88.
3. The arrangement of Shimen stone inscriptions follows established precedents for those with prior examples, such as "Eighteen Sections of Shimen Inscriptions" and "Twelve Sections of Yupan Inscriptions," to facilitate comparison with related records. These are arranged according to tradition and accompanied by dedicated commentaries, such as "Commentary on Eighteen Sections of Shimen Inscriptions" and "Commentary on Twelve Sections of Yupan Inscriptions." All inscriptions are organized by their respective regions for easy reference.
4. For some inscriptions where earlier records or modern discussions contain conflicting interpretations, special essays are appended for textual analysis. For instance, following the "Record of Panyang and Han Zhongyuan Building the Bridge Pavilion," an essay titled "Textual Analysis of Panyang and Han's Record and Li Bao's Inscription" is included.
5. For inscriptions written from right to left and with longer text, the end of each line is marked with a 7 symbol. Inscriptions written from left to right or those with specific arrangements are recorded as they appear in their original form.
6. Given that the Han Dynasty already practiced simplifying characters, this book follows that tradition. Therefore, standardized simplified characters are adopted throughout the text.
7. The stone inscriptions lost on Jitou Pass, which were discovered later and form a distinct system, are supplemented as a separate chapter and not mixed with other inscriptions.