Henan. Dengfeng City. Taishi Que

🌟 Dengfeng Taishi Que: A Living Fossil of Eastern Han Stone Carving Art Dengfeng, an ancient city located at the foot of Mount Song, has long been a sacred place for emperors to perform rituals and scholars to seek tranquility. As an important part of the "Center of Heaven and Earth" historical architectural complex in China, Taishi Que has quietly stood for over 1,900 years, with its weathered stone carvings seemingly still telling stories from the Eastern Han period. 🏛️ **A Silent Epic of Millennia-Old Stone Carvings** Taishi Que was built in the fifth year of Emperor An of the Eastern Han Dynasty (118 AD) as the spirit way gate of the former Taishi Temple, the predecessor of the Zhongyue Temple. This pair of stone gates is carved from whole blocks of sandstone, standing 3.92 meters tall, making it one of the oldest surviving temple gates. Visiting on a rainy day is especially charming—the rain-soaked stone textures become exceptionally clear, and the reliefs of chariots and horses, as well as the vermilion bird and black tortoise, seem to come alive. 🦕 **Ancient Secrets on the Gate Body** A careful look reveals several round fossil imprints embedded in the stone material of the gate body. These are footprints left by ancient creatures from 200 million years ago, unintentionally overlaying the Jurassic and Eastern Han eras on the same stone by the Han craftsmen. The most fascinating is a "Cuju" (ancient Chinese football) relief, witnessing the earliest football sport in China, with vivid postures of figures and even the fluttering details of their garments clearly visible. 🔍 **Decoding the Architectural Symbols** The carvings on the gate body combine yin and yang engraving techniques: the upper part uses shallow relief to depict auspicious birds and mythical beasts, while the lower part employs incised lines to outline hunting scenes. The northwest gate preserves the oldest existing six large seal script characters "Zhongyue Taishi Yangcheng," with strokes as powerful as cuts from knives and axes, undiminished by wind and rain. 🌧️ **Echoes of History in the Rain** It is recommended to visit during light rain; the moist air brings out a special mineral scent from the stone gate. The drainage system on top of the gate remains intact to this day—watching rainwater flow along the two-thousand-year-old water channels is more impressive than any special effects movie. Remember to bring a transparent umbrella, which can shield you from the rain without obstructing your view of the remaining tile patterns on the gate top. This national treasure, known as the "Stone Han Book," completes a time-travel journey through its silent stone carvings. When your fingertips touch the cool gate body, it feels as if you can sense the warmth of the Eastern Han craftsmen’s palms. Next time you visit Mount Song, don’t miss this millennia-spanning stone carving dialogue.