Epitaph tablet of Prince Yuan Mi

This epitaph tablet, a testament to the art of Chinese calligraphy, consists of three basic parts: (1) the official title of Prince Zheng Qing, who was uncle to the ninth ruler of Wei, Emperor Zheng Guang (520-524); (2) the Imperial eulogy and memorial decree, composed by his nephew the Emperor; (3) the date of the burial, the third day of the second month in the fifth year of Zheng Guang (524). As the memorial relates, the prince was the grandson of the the sixth emperor of northern Wei. He served as a prince for the state of Zhao and was Commanding General of the successful Southern Expedition. He died in his prime and was buried in the Pei-mon Mountains north of the capital of Luoyang.