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Xixia Museum in Wuwei
Xixia Museum (Western Xia Museum) is located in front of the Wuwei Confucian Temple in Wuwei City, Gansu Province. It is an important cultural museum dedicated to preserving and displaying the history, art, and achievements of the Western Xia Dynasty (1038–1227 AD).
The museum features a traditional antique-style architectural design with a “回”-shaped layout, covering an area of approximately 3,570 square meters, with an exhibition area of about 1,400 square meters. Through large-scale relief sculptures, cultural relic displays, murals, historical images, and themed background paintings, the museum vividly presents the political, economic, military, and cultural achievements of Wuwei during the Western Xia period.
As one of the most important collections of Western Xia cultural heritage in China, the museum houses many precious artifacts, including the nationally protected Wooden Pagoda Relic, the national first-class cultural relic Western Xia Woodblock Painting, and the rare Western Xia movable-type Buddhist scriptures. These treasures provide valuable insights into the history, religion, language, and social development of the Western Xia Dynasty.
The Treasure of Xixia Museum: The Western Xia Stel
The most valuable artifact in the museum is the famous Western Xia Stele, originally known as the “Inscription on the Reconstruction of Liangzhou Huguo Temple.” It is considered the most complete surviving bilingual stone inscription in China featuring both Western Xia (Tangut) characters and Chinese characters.
The stone tablet measures approximately 2.6 meters high, 1 meter wide, and 0.3 meters thick, with inscriptions carved on both sides. The front side is written in Western Xia script, with the title meaning “Inscription of the Pagoda of the Emperor.” The text is written in Western Xia regular script, while the reverse side contains Chinese seal script with the title “Reconstruction of Liangzhou Huguo Temple.”
The inscription records the original construction, historical significance, and later reconstruction of the Huguo Temple Pagoda, preserving valuable information about Western Xia history, religion, architecture, economy, and social life.
Because of its importance in the study of the Western Xia language and writing system, scholars at home and abroad have called it the “living dictionary of the Western Xia script.”
A Rare Window into Tangut Civilization
In addition to its written inscriptions, the Western Xia Stele is decorated with exquisite carvings of patterns, flowers, and human figures. The delicate craftsmanship demonstrates the advanced artistic and technological achievements of Western Xia stone carving.
The artifact was officially announced by the State Council of China in 1961 as one of the first national key cultural relics protection units, highlighting its exceptional historical and cultural value.
Today, Xixia Museum provides visitors with a unique opportunity to explore the mysterious Tangut civilization, understand the history of the Western Xia Dynasty, and discover Wuwei’s important role along the ancient Silk Road.
For travelers interested in Chinese history, archaeology, and ancient cultures, the Xixia Museum is one of the must-visit cultural attractions in Wuwei, Gansu Province.
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