Nestorian Monument

Nestorian Monument in Xian

The Nestorian Monument was unearthed in the town of Zhouzhi in Shaanxi China in 1623 A.D. (Ming Dynasty). The monument, now stored in the Forest of Steles in Xian, was set up by the earliest (known) Christian Missionary to China. A Nestorian monk, Olopen came to China in 635 A.D. during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 A.D.). The Nestorian faith was known to the Chinese as 'Qing Jiao'. Olopen built a temple in Changan, called the Da Qin Temple. The stone monument, measured 2.36 meters tall, 0.86 meter wide and 0.25 meter thick was carved in 781 A.D. The introduction read, '(Let's) praise (the Lord) that the Da Qin faith has been popular in China.' The inscription on the monument was written by a follower called Lu Siuyan and was about 1780 words in length. It mentions the early activities of Christianity in China and the Christian doctrine. On two sides of the bottom of monument, the names of 128 followers are listed in Syrian. The contents of the monument has been translated into many languages and it is invaluable to the study of the spread and development of Christianity in China.

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