Xi’an Beilin Museum
Photo: Own work — CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Xi’an Beilin Museum, also known as the Stele Forest Museum, is located in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, China. It houses over 3,000 stone steles and sculptures from various dynasties, showcasing Chinese calligraphy and historical artifacts.
Planning your visit
The Stele Forest holds over 3,000 inscribed stones, the largest such collection in China, and it began in 1087 as a repository for the Kaicheng Stone Classics — the entire Confucian canon carved onto 114 slabs in 837 AD so that the authorised text could never be corrupted by copyists.
For calligraphers this is the most important site in the country. The steles carry the work of the great masters — Yan Zhenqing, Ouyang Xun, Liu Gongquan, Huai Su — and rubbings taken from them have trained Chinese hands for a thousand years.
The Nestorian Stele of 781 is the other landmark: a record in Chinese and Syriac of an early Christian community in the Tang capital, and the principal evidence that one existed.
A sculpture gallery adjoins it.
It stands beside the city wall in Xi'an. Allow two hours. Current availability is listed below.
Before you book
Where is Xi’an Beilin Museum?
Xi’an Beilin Museum is in Xi'an, China. The map on this page marks its exact location.
How long should I allow for Xi’an Beilin Museum?
Allow two hours. That is the time the collection itself takes at an unhurried pace, before any queue.
Do I need to book Xi’an Beilin Museum in advance?
Tickets can be bought on the door at quiet times, but booking ahead fixes the date and avoids the queue at busy ones. Live availability is shown on this page.
