Qīng yáng gōng bēi jì 青羊宮碑記
Stele-Inscription of the Qīngyáng Belvedere
stele-record (重修青羊萬夀宫碑記) of the Qīngyánggōng 青羊宮 in Chéngdū — the historic Daoist monastery on the site where Lǎozǐ is traditionally said to have re-encountered Yǐn Xǐ in the post-Hán-gǔ-pass period — composed by 張德地 (Zhāng Dédì), Sìchuān Provincial Governor (xúnfǔ Sìchuān děng chù dìfāng jiān lǐ liángxiǎng Gōngbù shàngshū jiān Dūcháyuàn yòu fùdūyùshǐ shòu wéi cóngyīpǐn fúfèng), in the early Kāngxī era
A foundational stele-record narrating the Kāng-xī-era reconstruction of the Qīngyánggōng — destroyed during the wars of the MíngQīng transition (the bīngxiàn period had left Sìchuān in guànmǎng “thicket-and-marsh” condition for nearly 20 years) — by Zhāng Dédì in his capacity as xúnfǔ of Sìchuān (Zhāng served from c. 1660 to c. 1675). The stele-text frames the reconstruction within a broader Lǎo-zǐ-as-political-philosopher programme: invoking the Hàn Wéndì’s Daoist-influenced governance and HànGuāngwǔdì’s “soft-Way” success, and Cáo Cān 曹參’s qīng jìng governance of Qí. The stele frames the Qīngyánggōng’s restoration as the political-symbolic anchor of post-war Sìchuān reconstruction.
Prefaces
Stele-record (Zhāng Dédì), undated but datable to early Kāngxī era. “From up-to-the-time of the Yellow Emperor and YúShùn — distant indeed! Summarising in one phrase: by qīngjìng wúwéi (pure-stillness non-action), all-under-Heaven self-transforms. Below the Three Dynasties, Hàn-rule comes nearest the antique. The xiàowén age is praised for putting-aside-the-laws; the histories record that the Wén Emperor liked the HuángLǎo arts; one age’s governance was nothing not initiated from this. The Eastern Capital’s flourishing — Guāngwǔ also said: I govern all-under-Heaven by the soft Way to win it. — Who is not a teacher of xiào wén’s governance and so works it? — Worldly speakers of Lǎozǐ generally make-spirit his sayings on the jade-bureau-numinous-talisman, the flying-ascending-long-life arts; not knowing that he has the capital-of-helping-governance this broad. — Our Dynasty was given the precious-charter, unifying the realm; with simplicity and broadness, the people ascended to the supreme governance. Only Sìchuān, having suffered the war-fires, has been guànmǎng for nearly twenty years. I, undeservedly, received the simple-mandate to summon-and-bring-back, settle-and-collect, with the urgent-business of giving the people xiū xí (rest-and-breathing). — Of old Cáo Cān governed Qí, hearing that Gài Gōng was good at governing-by-Huáng-Lǎo; he avoided the zhèng táng (regular hall) to give-house to the lord. The Lord, speaking, said: ‘the way of governance prizes pure-stillness, and the people will of themselves settle.’ Cān used it, and Qí by it was governed; afterward, by what governed Qí, governed all-under-Heaven; the people sang: ‘With his pure-stillness, the people are at peace and one.’ Now to govern Sìchuān as Gài Gōng’s saying — to push-and-act on the count — could one say there is no benefit?”
Abstract
The foundational Kāng-xī-era stele of the Qīngyánggōng’s reconstruction, by Zhāng Dédì in his capacity as Sìchuān Governor. The text is one of the more important institutional-historical documents of post-Míng-Qīng-transition Sìchuān Daoism, and the political-philosophical framing is itself a useful witness to the Kāngxī court’s appropriation of HuángLǎo political theory for post-war reconstruction. The text is paired with the parallel KR5i0100 Èr xiān ān bēi jì in the Sìchuān Daoist institutional-history sequence in DZJY.
For the Qīngyánggōng and its Lóngmén connection see Olles, Ritual Words (2013).
Translations and research
- No critical edition or translation of this specific stele located.
Links
- Kanseki Repository KR5i0101
- Author: 張德地.