The Jingjiao (‘luminous teaching”) Stele, also commonly known as the Xian Nestorian Stele, is a Tang limestone monument erected in 781. Its texts in Chinese and Syriac (side panels) document the arrival of Christian monks from Syria in China in 635 and the hospitality offered by the Emperor Taizong. It narrates the growth of Christianity in China during the 7th and 8th centuries. It also sheds light on the uniquely Chinese perspectives that shaped Jingjiao Christianity. A translation of the texts of the stele by Doctor L. Eccles and Professor Samuel Lieu (Macquarie University, Australia) can be found at: Xian Nestorian Monument
The stele was buried in the 9th century during an imperial campaign of anti-Buddhist persecution that also targeted Christians. In the 1620s it was unearthed and is now located in the Stele Forest in Xi'an. Its discovery sparked academic discussion and debate that continues to this day.
In 1907, a Danish adventurer, Frits Holm, went to China in an expedition aimed at bringing the stele to Europe. When Chinese authorities blocked this project, Holm commissioned an exact stone replica that eventually was donated to the Vatican. A plaster replica of the stele was cast in the Lateran museum with the permission of Pope Benedict XV. It was sent to McGill University as a gift to mark McGill’s first centenary in 1921. It was originally situated in Redpath Library facing the famous Gest Collection, a huge collection of rare Chinese manuscripts. The stele was moved to the Birks building after the collection was moved to Princeton University in 1937. The stele resided in a seminar room at Birks until its restoration and relocation to the main foyer in 2024. We are very grateful for the support of the Montreal Chinese community in this restoration project.