Xi'an Half-Day: Rubbing a Tang Stele at the Forest of Steles

The Forest of Steles exists because of a copying problem. In 837, during the Tang, the Confucian classics were cut into stone so that students could take rubbings from an authoritative text instead of arguing over hand-copied versions. Two and a half centuries later, in 1087, the stones were gathered into one place to keep them safe, and that collection is now more than a thousand steles and epitaphs spanning the Han to the Qing.

Rubbing is the technique that made the library useful, and it is harder than it looks. Thin paper is pressed down into the incised strokes until the characters stand in relief, then ink is dabbed over the surface with a cloth tampon so that the recessed strokes stay white. Too wet and the paper tears; too dry and the image turns grey. You work on reproduction steles, take two rubbings away, and then walk the halls with your guide to read what the technique was for.

• The Beilin, founded in 1087 to house the Kaicheng Stone Classics cut in 837
• More than a thousand steles and epitaphs, from the Han through the Qing
• The rubbing technique end to end: paper pressed into the strokes, ink dabbed over the surface
• Two rubbings of your own on rice paper, rolled in a tube to carry home
• A guided reading of the Yan Zhenqing and Liu Gongquan pieces with your guide
• The Shuyuanmen lane outside, still lined with brush, ink and seal shops
• Working on reproduction steles, so nothing original is touched

• Meals as listed in the daily itinerary (no meals; tea at the studio)
• Private air-conditioned vehicle with professional driver throughout
• English-speaking local guide (Spanish, French, German, Italian, Russian or Japanese on request)
• All entrance fees for the sites listed, including shuttle buses, eco-buses and cable cars where the site requires them
• Local handling and coordination service throughout the programme
• Bottled water (2 bottles per person per day) and audio headsets where group size requires them
• Travel accident insurance for the duration of the tour

• International air tickets and any domestic flights not listed in the itinerary
• China visa or visa-free entry documentation fees
• Meals not specified in the daily itinerary and all beverages/alcohol
• Tips for guides, drivers and hotel staff (suggested USD 8-12 per person per day)
• Personal expenses: laundry, telephone, minibar, shopping
• Optional activities and any item not listed under Price Includes
• Single-room supplement if a traveller requires a room alone
• Additional rubbings beyond the two included (about CNY 80 each, paid at the studio)
• Framing or mounting of your rubbings after the session

Published: October 2026 — prices and itinerary reviewed on this date; later updates are shown in the revision note below.

Please read the notes below before you book. The Beilin is flat and step-free apart from two raised halls; the rubbing studio is a five-minute walk from the main gate.

Q: Do we work on the original steles?
A: No. Rubbing an original Tang stele would damage it, and the museum does not permit it. You work on reproduction steles cut from the same designs in the studio inside the complex, with the same paper, ink and technique. The originals are then read with your guide in the halls, which is where the value is - you understand what you are looking at because you have just tried to do it.

Q: Is this only for people who can write Chinese?
A: Not at all. Rubbing is a physical technique: press, tamp, ink, lift. About half the people who take this session cannot read a single character, and they produce better rubbings than the calligraphers because they follow the instruction instead of second-guessing it. The reading afterwards is in English, with the characters explained as images first.

Q: How big are the rubbings we take home?
A: About 60 by 40 cm, on rice paper, rolled into a cardboard tube that fits in a carry-on. They travel well if you keep them dry and do not fold them. If you want a smaller piece to frame, tell the technician at the start and he will cut the paper down before you begin.

Q: What is the Beilin actually famous for?
A: Two things. The Kaicheng Stone Classics of 837, which are the oldest complete set of Confucian classics cut in stone, and the calligraphy: the Tang masters Yan Zhenqing, Liu Gongquan and Ouyang Xun, the cursive of Huaisu and Zhang Xu, and the Nestorian Stele of 781, which records a Christian community in Tang Chang'an. The Nestorian Stele is the one most foreign visitors come for.

Q: Can we do this in the afternoon?
A: Yes, but mornings are better. The studio is busier after two, the halls are cooler before eleven, and the light in the first courtyard is better for looking at the incisions. If your programme only allows the afternoon, we run it at three and cut the reading to twenty minutes.

Q: Is the ink going to ruin our clothes?
A: It can mark light clothing, so we provide an apron and gloves and recommend dark trousers. The ink is water-based and washes out of cotton if you get to it that day; it does not come out of silk. Do not wear the hanfu you hired for another session.

Q: Do I need a visa for this?
A: Most visitors do not. China's unilateral visa-free scheme covers 50 countries for stays up to 30 days, and 240-hour visa-free transit applies to 57 nationalities entering through 65 designated ports, Xi'an Xianyang among them. Confirm your nationality against the National Immigration Administration list before booking, since the scheme is periodically revised.