The Paper reported that on September 15th, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage held a special press conference in Beijing, officially declaring the Garitang Qin Stone Carvings in Maduo County, Qinghai Province, to be Qin Dynasty relics. In response to previous questions from the academic community and the public, the State Administration stated that it had organized a multidisciplinary team of experts to conduct two on-site investigations, obtain scientific data, and hold two deliberation meetings, ultimately reaching a consensus. Peking University Humanities Chair Professor Li Ling presented the findings of the two expert meetings, including the team members' deciphering of the inscriptions at the site, and supported the conclusions of the investigation report.
The National Cultural Heritage Administration's special press conference.
Deng Chao, Director of the Department of Cultural Relics and Historical Sites (World Cultural Heritage Department) of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, introduced the organization of the investigation and research on the Qin Stone Inscriptions at Garitang in Maduo County, Qinghai Province, and the progress of on-site protection work at the press conference. Li Li, Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Cultural Heritage, introduced the main contents of the investigation report on the Qin Stone Inscriptions at Garitang. Wang Jinxian, Director of the Qinghai Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, introduced the environment of the Qin Stone Inscriptions and surrounding cultural relics. Li Ling, Professor of Humanities at Peking University, and Zhang Ling, Deputy Director of the Archaeology Department of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, answered questions from reporters.
According to the press conference, on June 8, 2025, Guangming Daily published an article by Tong Tao, a researcher at the Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, titled "Verifying the Geographical Location of the Ancient 'Kunlun' - A Stone Inscription Depicting Qin Shihuang's Envoys Gathering Herbs from Kunlun," discovered at the Source of the Yellow River in Qinghai. This article sparked widespread attention and discussion. The State Administration of Cultural Heritage quickly arranged for the Chinese Academy of Cultural Heritage and the Qinghai Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology to establish a dedicated working group, mobilizing experts in the fields of stone cultural relic preservation, Qin and Han dynasty archaeology, paleography, calligraphy and seal carving to conduct focused research. Two on-site investigations were conducted, gathering scientific data on the stone inscriptions and their environmental context. Two multidisciplinary expert panels were convened to provide a comprehensive and comprehensive expert opinion. After careful research, the inscriptions were identified as Qin Dynasty and named the "Garitang Qin Stone Inscription." The Garitang Qin Stone Inscription is located in Zhuorang Village, Zhalinghu Township, Maduo County, Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province.
Experts investigate the scene
After receiving the research assignment, the Chinese Academy of Cultural Heritage and the Qinghai Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, adhering to the principles of scientific argumentation and seeking truth from facts, without preconceived conclusions, developed the "Investigation Report on the Qin Stone Inscriptions at Garitang, Maduo County, Qinghai Province" based on on-site investigation results and scientific testing data. The report consists of three parts: the overall investigation conclusions and expert opinion; the high-definition data acquisition, carving techniques, the occurrence environment, and the lithology and weathering characteristics of the rock mass of the stone inscriptions; and the field investigation of the stone inscriptions, inscription decipherment, literature review, geographical location verification, and value analysis. This multidisciplinary and multi-faceted assessment of the stone inscriptions will be published in an academic journal in the near future.
Li Li presented the report's contents in five areas: stone inscription identification, stone inscription environment, stone inscription analysis, relevant literature research, and overall findings. For stone inscription identification, high-precision information enhancement technology was used to capture inscription information, producing orthophotos, high-definition digital line drawings, high-definition electronic rubbings, and high-definition renderings of the stone inscriptions. The inscriptions were then individually extracted and analyzed. For stone inscription analysis, scientific methods were used to obtain data on the characteristics of the inscription marks, basic physical properties of the stone inscriptions, degree of weathering, and preservation status, enabling an assessment of the stone inscriptions' lithology, abrasiveness, and degree of weathering. Regarding the stone inscription environment, the geomorphology, stratigraphic lithology, and climate of the stone inscriptions were investigated. Field surveys were also conducted to investigate the surrounding cultural relics. The literature research concluded that, while there is no direct documentation, a tradition of stone inscriptions existed in this area during the Qing Dynasty (or even earlier), and relevant remains may have been left. Through the above scientific investigation and research, it was concluded that the Garitang Qin Stone Inscription is medium-fine-grained feldspar quartz sandstone, and the stone carving is in good condition, but there is a risk of local instability in some parts of the rock mass. The style of the stone carving is typical Qin seal script, with clear chisel marks, and the carving process uses flat-edged tools and oblique squares directly into the stone to carve. These five conclusions rule out the possibility that it is a new modern carving.
Stone carving
Wang Jinxian reviewed the discovery process of the stone carvings and the "four censuses" survey and registration process since 2020. He also introduced the natural environment of the stone carvings, the surrounding cultural relics, and the initial findings of the survey. The Zhaling Lake area, where the stone carvings are located, has a typical plateau continental climate and is located within the current Sanjiangyuan Ecological Protection Area. There are currently no permanent residents nearby. The stone carvings, the hillside, and Zhaling Lake form a "mountain behind the water" landscape, creating a wind-blocking effect with the mountain and the water moderating the microclimate. Investigations into the natural environment, cultural relics, and regional cultural context of the stone carvings and the surrounding area revealed two suspected stone coffin burials at the intersection of the lake floodplain and the hillside approximately 2 kilometers northeast of the stone carvings. The ancient city ruins of Duoyong Village, the Jiangduo sacrificial site, and a tomb complex have been discovered nearby. Within a 150-kilometer radius (approximately 360 li during the Qin and Han dynasties) centered on the stone carvings, the "four censuses" have uncovered a total of 75 cultural relics from the Paleolithic Age, Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties, and modern times. According to historical documents and historical and geographical research results, during the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the Zhalong Lake area should have been the place where the ancient Tang-Tibet Road entered Tibet. This shows that since the Paleolithic Age, the Zhalong Lake area where the Garitang stone carvings are located should have been an ancient human activity area and was not a sparsely populated area.
High-definition digital line map of the Qin Dynasty stone carvings at Garitang
Professor Li Ling analyzed that, while the inscription appears less standardized due to the limited surface area, it nonetheless bears typical features of Qin script. He systematically presented his understanding of the text's interpretation, punctuation, and key words and phrases, including "Wu Dafu," "Fangji," "Cai Yao," and "Kunlun," and provided a vernacular interpretation of the text. He objectively described the discussions at two expert meetings and the expert team members' interpretation of the text at the stone carving site, supporting the conclusions of the investigation report.
The full text of the Garitang Qin Stone Inscription consists of 36 characters in 12 lines, plus 1 combined character, for a total of 37 characters. They are arranged vertically from right to left, and most of the characters are clearly legible. The writing style is Qin seal script. The relatively complete text information is "The emperor/sent the five/official ministers □/generals □/to collect music □/in Yangyi in/the third month of the thirty-seventh year/the Jimao car arrived at/this Yi □/front □ can/□one hundred and fifty/li" . It is an important achievement of the fourth national cultural relics survey and is associated with Zhaling Lake to form a cultural landscape. The overall preservation is basically intact, with most of the characters clearly legible. The year, month and date of the stone inscription are all complete, which is not recorded in historical documents. It is the only known Qin Dynasty stone inscription in China that remains in its original site and at the highest altitude. Standing at Heyuan, it fills the gap in history and is of great significance. It has important historical, artistic and scientific value.
No. 2 steep slope of Garitang slope
According to reports, the National Cultural Heritage Administration, under the guidance of the Qinghai Provincial Cultural Heritage Administration, has approved and announced the stone carvings as a county-level cultural relic protection site, delineating a protection area and construction control zone. The carvings will be protected and managed as national key cultural relic protection sites, and will be given special attention in the selection process for the ninth batch of national key cultural relic protection sites. Based on the principle of in-situ preservation, a conservation plan will be formulated to systematically protect the surrounding landscape. Based on the results of the Fourth National Cultural Relics Survey, a regional archaeological survey will be organized around the Zhaling Lake and Eling Lake areas to comprehensively assess the distribution of cultural relics. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, the National Cultural Heritage Administration will establish a database on stone carvings, conduct comprehensive research on important stone carvings, and develop a special conservation plan for grottoes, temples, and stone carvings, aiming to comprehensively improve the systematic conservation of stone carvings.
Previously, Qu Anjing, director of the Institute for Advanced Studies in the History of Science at Northwest University, pointed out a chronological paradox regarding the use of the title "Emperor" in stone inscriptions. In a special issue of the journal "Jinshi Research" published in August of this year, Dong Shan of Peking University focused on the writing of the character "皇," noting that the short horizontal stroke of the character "皇" in the stone inscriptions connects to the border, violating the standard Qin Dynasty writing method prescribed in the "Recipe for Changing Names" found in the Liye Qin bamboo slips.
Professor Xin Deyong of Peking University published an article titled "Highly Suspected to be a Modern Forgery - A New Height of Stone Carving Forgery", in which he bluntly stated that there is a paradox in the age of the inscription; Professor Liu Zongdi of Beijing Language and Culture University also questioned on Weibo, "Why did the alchemists of the Qin Dynasty go to Heyuan to collect herbs in the cold winter?" Liu Shaogang of Tsinghua University believes that the layout of the stone carving has no vertical and horizontal boundaries, which does not conform to the solemn paradigm of official Qin Dynasty stone carvings, and he also suspects the possibility of imitation by later generations.
It can be said that the discovery of this stone inscription triggered heated debates among the Qin and Han historians, archaeologists, and ancient philologists, forming a multidisciplinary academic debate field.
The State Administration of Cultural Heritage also responded to the five main questions raised by the public at the press conference. The following content was compiled by the Qinghai Branch of the People's Daily:
1. Does the content of the stone inscriptions differ from the actual situation in the Qin Dynasty?
Previous doubts have been raised about the stone inscription: Experts believe that the term "collecting herbs" mentioned in the inscription is not found in ancient literature before the Han Dynasty. The stone inscription also mentions a "calendar discrepancy," arguing that the date of "26th year, March, Ji Mao" (Ji Mao) mentioned in the inscription does not match the Qin Dynasty's Zhuanxu calendar. Furthermore, based on the 26th year, Ying Zheng had not yet been crowned emperor, yet the inscription mentions the title "Emperor." The term "one hundred and twenty-five li" also does not conform to the ancient usage of the time.
Explanation: After complete interpretation, the full text of the stone carving consists of 12 lines and 36 characters, plus 1 combined character, a total of 37 characters. The writing style is Qin seal script, and the relatively complete text information is "The emperor sent five senior officials and ministers to come to Fang □ to collect music □. Yang Yi arrived in the third month of the thirty-seventh year. The carriage arrived at this Yi □. The front □ can be □ one hundred and fifty miles."
Li Li, deputy director of the Chinese Academy of Cultural Heritage, explained: "The character 乐 (乐) lacks the radical 艹 (艹) and can be translated as 药 (药). The character □ (□) only has the radical 曰 (曰), so it is speculated to be the character 坤 (坤).
Qin seal script "乐"
The original interpretation of "卅七" (thirty-seven) was "二十六" (twenty-six). Analysis of the strokes after information enhancement revealed that the original interpretation of "二十" (twenty) contained a vertical stroke in the middle, which should have led to the interpretation of "卅" (thirty-seven). The vertical stroke on the left side of the original interpretation of "六" (six) should be the boundary of rock spalling, not a carved stroke, and should therefore be interpreted as "七" (seven).
"One hundred and fifty li" is interpreted as "one" in the Central Plains. After analyzing the strokes after information enhancement processing, a short horizontal mark remains in the upper right corner of the character "one", which is a significant man-made trace rather than a natural crack. The upper left corner has peeled off due to weathering. According to the examples of Qin and Han Dynasty texts, "two" or "three" is more appropriate.
2. Is it for later generations to engrave precision instruments such as electric drills?
Previous related doubts: Some scholars believe that the strokes of some stone carvings are stiff and unnatural, and the worn parts of the carvings are "straight in and out", which means that they were carved by modern physical equipment.
Deng Chao, Director of the Department of Cultural Relics and Historic Sites of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, explained: "Two field surveys on June 13th and July 15th revealed that the stone carvings and the lakeside slopes together create a geological environment where the mountain provides wind protection and the waters provide microclimate regulation." Laboratory analysis confirmed that the stone carvings are quartz sandstone, which is highly wear-resistant and resistant to weathering. High-precision information enhancement technology revealed clear chisel marks on the stone carvings, indicating they were carved with flat-bladed tools, consistent with the era. Mineral and metal element analysis ruled out the possibility of modern alloy tools. Weathered secondary minerals are present both within the carvings and on the stone surface, indicating long-term weathering, ruling out recent carvings.
In terms of the characteristics of the stone carvings, macro photography technology was used to collect the carving characteristics of the stone carving strokes, and the depth, width and cross-sectional area of the carving strokes were statistically analyzed. The results showed that the carving width was uniform. Taking the word "臣" as an example, a total of 6 strokes and 60 sections were collected, with an average carving width of 4.17 mm and a standard deviation of 1.35; there were irregular cracks on both sides of the carvings, and the bottoms of the carvings were mostly flat. The average carving cross-sectional area was 1.46 square millimeters, with a standard deviation of 0.78; significant traces of chiseling and pauses could be seen in the carvings, and the proportion of strokes with carving pauses was about 80%, confirming that the stone carving was made using a flat-mouthed tool and the oblique square was directly carved into the stone.
In addition, a portable fluorescence spectrometer was used to detect the elements on the surface of the stone and inside the carvings. The results showed that the elemental composition of the carved and non-carved areas was slightly different. The main elements were silicon and aluminum, accounting for about 80%. The associated elements included characteristic elements of rock-forming minerals such as magnesium, potassium, calcium, manganese, and iron. No metal elements such as tungsten and cobalt were detected, which ruled out the possibility of carving using modern alloy tools.
3. Is it basalt or quartzite? The hardness of the rock, and the high altitude, cold, and oxygen-deficient wind conditions, determine whether it can survive for over 2,000 years.
Previous skepticism: Liu Zongdi, a professor at the School of Literature at Beijing Language and Culture University, argued that to reach the shores of Zhaling Lake in March, as recorded in the stone carvings, the expedition would have had to have set out in the previous winter. The icy and snowy conditions in the Heyuan region during winter made road supplies a challenge. Furthermore, basalt is soft and unsuitable for carving and preservation.
Regarding the basic physical properties of the stone carvings, the authors first used rock thin section identification to identify the stone carvings as "medium-fine-grained feldspar quartz sandstone." Secondly, they used a microscopic real-time loading-image observation and acquisition test system to test the mechanical strength of the stone carvings. The results showed that the average uniaxial compressive strength of the rock was approximately 48 MPa. Thirdly, they used a rock abrasion servo tester to test the wear resistance of the samples. The results showed that the abrasion index was 3.7, indicating that the rock is highly abrasive, which is a key factor in the stone carvings' preservation despite natural weathering.
Wang Jinxian, an expert at the Qinghai Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, explained that the stone carvings face southeast at a 158-degree angle, making them less susceptible to erosion from the region's dominant northwesterly winds. The carved stone, along with the hillside and Zhaling Lake, creates a "mountain behind the mountain and water in front" landscape, creating an overall effect where the mountain blocks the wind and the water regulates the microclimate.
The surface hardness, element distribution, and other non-destructive testing methods of the stone carving were tested and analyzed using surface hardness testers, infrared thermal imagers, and elastic wave velocity meters. The rock structure in the inscription area is relatively complete, naturally formed in a vertical shape, with high surface strength and relatively flat surface without obvious structural defects, providing the necessary conditions for faceting selection. Through the investigation of the rock mass and the main body of the stone carving, the geological profile of the stratum in which the stone carving is located was obtained. The results show that the main body of the stone carving has four groups of dominant joints and fissures, which affect the stability of the rock mass structure and may cause rock surface spalling. There are currently multiple spalling areas on the rock surface, one of which occurred before the inscription and seven occurred after the inscription. In addition, due to the combined influence of crack cutting and the spalling surface of the lower rock mass, there are two potential spalling instability areas on the right side of the stone carving.
4. Does the degree of weathering match that seen from the Qin Dynasty to the present day? Why are the incisions black?
Previously, some experts believed that Zhaling Lake is located above 4,300 meters above sea level, with extremely low average temperature and severe weathering. However, no lichens were found in the scratches, and the freshness of the weathering layer was questionable whether it matched the 2,200-year period.
To analyze the degree of weathering of the stone carving, an automated mineral electron microscope was used to analyze the mineral composition, distribution patterns, and particle characteristics of the carving. Three key findings were obtained. First, a comparative analysis of the mineral composition and types of the carved surface and the non-carved area of the stone surface revealed the presence of weathered secondary minerals such as chlorite and illite on both the carved and non-carved surfaces. This demonstrates that both the carved and non-carved areas have undergone extensive weathering, forming weathered layers with similar composition and structure, thus ruling out the possibility that the carving was a modern artifact.
A comparative analysis of the mineral composition of the surface and interior of the inscribed area revealed that the surface content of softer minerals, such as feldspar, in the same rock layer within the inscribed area was 48.82%, while the content within the interior was 46.77%. Softer minerals, such as feldspar, are easily lost due to weathering, which is consistent with the objective law that the degree of weathering decreases from the surface to the inside of the rock. Third, to determine the reason for the black coloration of the inscriptions, trace powder samples from the interior of the stone were analyzed and found to contain a relatively high content of manganese aluminum chlorite, also known as hard chlorite, which is not easily weathered and appears black. The weight percentage of manganese aluminum chlorite was 0.09%, while the weight percentage of manganese aluminum chlorite in the non-inscribed area of the stone was 0.01%, which is the main reason for the black coloration of the inscriptions.
Experts investigate the scene
5. Do the locations of Heyuan and Kunlun contradict known historical records?
Previous doubts have been raised: the "Kunlun" unearthed from the Liye Qin bamboo slips points to Shandong Province, which is inconsistent with this Kunlun. Even after Zhang Qian's opening up of the Western Regions in the Western Han Dynasty, the understanding of the Yellow River's source was still vague, while Emperor Wu of Han located Kunlun on the Pamir Plateau. However, according to the stone inscriptions, the Qin Dynasty clearly identified the location of Kunlun and the Yellow River's source. Why did the Western Han Dynasty "forget" this geographical knowledge? This contradiction requires a reasonable explanation.
Li Li explained: "After reviewing local chronicles, epigraphic records, and ancient texts related to the exploration of the Yellow River's source and the location of Kunlun, no direct references to the Qin Dynasty stone carvings at Garitang have been found. However, records of ancient stone carvings around Zhaling Lake and Eling Lake are found in the "Da Qing Yitong Zhi" and "Qing Bai Lei Chao" books, suggesting a tradition of stone carving in this area during the Qing Dynasty (or even earlier), and possibly related remains."
Wang Jinxian, an expert at the Qinghai Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, explained that historical documents and historical and geographical research indicate that during the Sui and Tang dynasties, the Zhaling Lake area was the site of the ancient Tang-Tibetan Road into Tibet. The presence of these registered and newly discovered cultural relics suggests that the Zhaling Lake area, where the Garitang stone inscriptions are located, was an area of ancient human activity since the Paleolithic Age and was not inaccessible.
