The Stele Forest began with the '' Kaicheng Shi Jing Steles '' ( 开成石经碑 ) and '' Shitai Xiao Jing Steles '' ( 石台孝经碑 ) , two groups of steles both carved in the Tang dynasty and displayed in the temple to Confucius in Chang ' an . In 904 , a rebel army sacked Chang ' an , and the steles were evacuated to the inner city . In 962 , they were returned to the rebuilt temple . In the Song dynasty , a special hall with attached facilities was built to house and display the two stele groups . It was damaged in the 1556 Shaanxi earthquake during the Ming dynasty . In 1936 , famous Chinese calligrapher Yu Youren donated his entire collection of more than three hundred rubbings from steles to the Xian Forest of Stele Museum . It became a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level in 1961 and thus survived the Cultural Revolution
1556 Shaanxi earthquake
1556 Shaanxi earthquake
Stele Forest