Dismounting stele

A dismounting stele (Chinese: 下馬碑), in East Asian architecture, was a stele erected outside an important building or group of buildings giving notice for mounted travellers to dismount and for passengers of vehicles to exit the vehicle.[1][2]

Dismounting stele at the Taiwan Confucian Temple reads (in Chinese and Manchu): "Civil and military officials, soldiers and citizens, all dismount from their horses here"

Locations

Dismounting steles were placed in front of gates to important buildings or institutions such as imperial tombs, palaces, the Imperial City and major temples and shrines, especially shrines to Confucius. They were placed singularly or in pairs. Whether such steles are placed in front of a particular building was dictated by rules of protocol. In imperial times, this was generally controlled by the Board of Rites. The Emperor might also grant the placement of a dismounting stele as a sign of favour towards an institution, group or person.

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References
  1. 沈阳故宫下马碑的前世今生(图) (in Chinese). 中国网. 2008-10-27. Retrieved 2013-01-18.
  2. 专家详解沈阳故宫新"下马碑" (in Chinese). 新华网. 2008-11-05. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2013-01-18.
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