The stele documents the existence of Christian communities in several cities in northern China and reveals that the church had initially received recognition by the Tang in 635. It is a 279-cm tall limestone block. It is also translated as ''A Monument Commemorating the Propagation of the Ta-Chin Luminous Religion in the Middle Kingdom'' .
It was erected on January 7, 781, at the imperial capital city of Chang'an , or at nearby Chou-Chih . The was by Lü Xiuyan , and the content was composed by the Nestorian monk, Jingjing , in the four- and six- euphemistic style Chinese and a few lines in . On top of the tablet, there is a cross. Calling God "Veritable Majesty", the text refers to Genesis, the , and the baptism. It also pays tribute to missionaries and benefactors of the church, who are known to have arrived in China by 640.
The stele was unearthed in the late Ming Dynasty beside Chongren Temple , where it was housed for several centuries. It is now displayed in the Stele Forest in Xi'an.
The Nestorian Stone has attracted the attention of some anti-Christian groups, who argue that the stone is a fake or that the inscriptions were modified by the who served in the Ming Court. There is no scientific or historical evidence to support this claim.
Numerous Christian gravestones have also been found in China in the Xinjiang region, Quanzhou and elsewhere from a somewhat later period. There are also two much later stelae presenting a curious mix of Christian and Buddhist aspects, which are preserved at the site of the former Monastery of the cross in the Fangshan District, near Beijing.
Location
The Nestorian Stele is on exhibit at the Xi'an Beilin Museum in Xi'an, Shaanxi. The Nestorian Stele is located in Room Number 2 and is the first stele on the left after the entry.
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