Jinwang Stele
On the east wall of the second-floor balcony at Qingxi Renjia Restaurant, located at No. 242 Beidajie (North Street), Zhujiajiao Ancient Town, there is a black stone stele embedded in the wall. Modest in appearance, this stele is closely tied to two famous local figures—Wang Chang and Lu Bokun.
The stele measures 81 cm wide and 31 cm high and is made of bluestone. Above it hangs a black marble plaque reading “Qingpu District Cultural Relic Protection Site”, established in February 2017. A safety notice marks it as an immovable cultural relic of Qingpu District.
The inscription reads:
"Temples are built along West Lake where leisure boats gather. Now, our Songjiang, Mao, and Dian lakes stretch for over a hundred Chinese miles, abundant with frogs, turtles, fish, and other aquatic life, surpassing other counties. Fishing boats and weirs are densely arranged across the waters. Inspired by the divine virtue of cherishing life, former generations built bridges to facilitate the practice of releasing living creatures. My companions and I also visit the temple on the first day of each month, contributing funds for this purpose. We petitioned the authorities to prohibit net fishing within a radius of three to four Chinese miles around the temple. This will allow harmony to flourish, inspire kindness among the people, and encourage visitors and residents to cultivate reverence for the gods. In time, when the temple expands, I shall write another record. This project began in the fourth year of Jiaqing Reign and was completed in months. Names of donors and overseers are engraved on the back of the stele.
Composed by Wang Chang, Senior Grand Master of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices and Vice Minister of Justice.
Calligraphy by Lu Bokun, Assistant Surveillance Commissioner of Zhejiang.
The Jinwang Stele was built to forbid net-fishing in designated waters. Such steles were commonly established to protect aquatic ecosystems and biodiversity, often initiated by local governments or temple authorities.
These steles not only hold historical value but also reflect an early awareness of ecological protection and the reverence for life in traditional Chinese culture.
About the Authors:
Wang Chang (1725–1806): Courtesy name Defu, literary name Shuan, also known as Lanquan. A Qingpu native, he was a prominent Qing dynasty writer and epigrapher. His biography appears in Volume 17 of the Guangxu Edition of the Qingpu County Gazetteer.
Lu Bokun (1742–1802): Courtesy name Zhonghui, literary name Putang. A Qingpu native, he obtained his jinshi degree in 1780 and served as Surveillance Commissioner of Zhejiang. The Lu family produced many scholars over generations, with 13 jinshi from the Ming and Qing dynasties, including the renowned brothers Lu Shusheng and Lu Shude in the Jiajing reign.
