The Tale of Meihua Stele: A Love Story Spanning Eight Centuries

Meihuabei (Plum Blossom Stele) Road, nestled along the narrow alley connecting Chengtou Lane and Youshengguan Road, not only bears the daily footsteps of local residents but also narrates the cultural heritage of Hangzhou spanning millennia. Its name originates from an ancient stone stele adorned with plum blossom patterns. The road is named after a stone stele, yet behind this stone stele lies a captivating tale.

The birth of this stele traces back to a leisurely outing by Lan Ying and Sun Di, two prominent Ming Dynasty painters. Hailing from the same hometown and sharing a deep friendship, they often embarked on excursions together, exchanging insights into their artistry. One day, they arrived at the former site of Deshou Palace, where legend held a rare moss-covered plum tree once flourished, accompanied by an extraordinary stone, a rose quartz, much favored by Emperor Gaozong.

Lan Ying loved all kinds of stones, so he and Sun Di ventured here, only to find the ancient plum tree withered, yet the rose quartz remained as its faithful companion. Inspired, they decided to collaborate on a painting titled "Plum Tree and Stone," with Lan Ying depicting the rose quartz and Sun Di illustrating the plum tree. Their artwork not only showcased exquisite craftsmanship but also conveyed profound nostalgia, deeply moving all who beheld it. Consequently, this "Plum Tree and Stone" painting was later engraved onto a stone stele called Meihua (Plum Blossom) Stele and erected at the former site of Deshou Palace, becoming a poignant symbol of reminiscence for later generations. However, as time passed, the stele weathered and eventually fractured into three pieces during the Qing Dynasty, left abandoned amidst the foliage.

Fortuitously, in 1751, during Emperor Qianlong's inaugural southern inspection tour, he passed through Hangzhou and, admiring the Meihua Stele, ordered its relocation to Yuanmingyuan in Beijing, leaving behind a replica in Hangzhou, thus christening the area as Meihuabei.

However, for the people of Hangzhou, the original stele once standing at the Meihuabei site had vanished. To commemorate this historic relic, the Shangcheng District government erected the "Plum Tree and Stone Garden" adjacent to the original site of the Meihua Stele. Within the garden stands the Shuangqing Pavilion, alongside a stele inscribed with plum blossoms and the poem composed by Emperor Qianlong. The winding corridors of the garden, adorned with slender plum branches, exude an elegant charm and poetic ambiance, evoking a profound sense of nostalgia and appreciation for the past and present.