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Primary sourceDocumentc. 221 BCE

Rubbing of the Langya Stone Inscription

Possibly Li Si · c. 221 BCE

A rubbing of a stone inscription from Mount Langya praising Qin Shi Huang's achievements, likely composed on his orders.

This inscription, likely commissioned by Qin Shi Huang, records how the emperor wanted his own reign to be remembered.

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Black-and-white ink rubbing of a stone inscription in rows of white Chinese seal-script characters on a dark ground, with red seal stamps and a column of handwritten colophon text along the right edge, plus a signature at lower left.
Rubbing of the Langya stone inscription, c. 221 BCE. Qing-dynasty rubbing with later collectors' seals.

About this source

What it is

This is an ink rubbing taken from a stone inscription originally carved around 221 BCE at Mount Langya, possibly composed by the official Li Si. The rubbing shown here is a later copy made from the stone, with seal stamps and handwritten notes added by later collectors.

Why it matters

The Langya inscription was one of several stone eulogies that Qin Shi Huang had carved during tours of his new empire, celebrating his unification of China and presenting his own image as a wise and powerful ruler. As a text commissioned in his name, it is a rare direct record of how the emperor wanted himself remembered.

Look closer

  • Why would an emperor want his achievements carved into stone across his empire?
  • What might be left out of an inscription written to praise the ruler who ordered it?
  • Why do we only have a later rubbing instead of the original stone?

This document is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Emperor Qin Shi Huang on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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