170-year-old stone tablet discovered in north China

A stone tablet, dating back to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), has been discovered in north China's Hebei Province, local authorities said on Friday.

The tablet, which was made in 1848 during the reign of Emperor Daoguang, as shown on the inscriptions, was found in Dongbalizhuang Village under the city of Nangong.

The cuboid, which is 135 cm tall, 73 cm wide, and 23 cm thick, features 705 character inscriptions describing the history of a special school called "Yixue" in Chinese in the village.

In the old days, "Yixue" was set up with the help of government funds and social donations. Most of the students in these schools were poor, and they went to school free of charge, according to Wen Shijia, head of the city's department of cultural relics protection.

"The discovery provides an important material reference for studying the development of local culture and education in southern Hebei," Wen said. Enditem