The Forest of Stone Steles Museum is also called the Steles Forest or Beilin Museum, is a themed museum focusing on displays of stone steles, epigraphs and stone sculptures from past dynasties. It locates on Sanxue Street, inside the Wenchang Gate of the Xian City Wall. Its construction is based on Xian Confucius Temple dating from 1087 during theSong Dynasty (960 – 1127). The museum was built to preserve the KaiClassics (a group of stone tablets) and the Filial Piety Classics. The collection has grown and now includes 11,000 relics, including three thousand stone steles or epigraphs that are housed in seven separate exhibition rooms. Among  many precious relics, there are 19 groups deemed to be national treasures that the visitor should not fail to see. The museum is divided into two parts by the Halberd Gate, with the old constructions in the Confucius Temple in front and the exhibition rooms at the back. There are works dating from the Han Dynasty through to the Qing Dynasty with over 1,000 memorial tablets forming the Forest of Stone Tablets. Xi'an Forest of Stone Tablets is more than a treasure house of ancient Chinese calligraphy. It is also a big collection of China's historical documents and records and stone carving patterns. These tabletsa record of some of the large achievements of Chinese culture. It can show us today the truth of the cultural intercourseChina and other countries. It is a shame that tourist will miss the Forest of Stone Tablets if they travel Xian. In front of the first exhibition hall stands the biggest stone tablet engraved in 745 AD. The inscription on filial piety was written by Emperor Xuezhong Li Longji of Tang Dynasty. The Scripture on Filial Piety was compiled by Confucius's student Zen Can and the tablet bears the preface for the scripture by Li Longji. His preface was aimed to demonstrate his political philosophy, that is, to govern his empire by filial piety. Following the preface is the original text of the Scripture on Filial Piety and the smaller Chinese characters on the side are the notations by Li Longji. The base of the large stele consists of a three-layer stone platform adorned with lively vines, grass and lion flower, which is a typical decoration of Tang style. On top of the tablet there are clouds and some imaginary beasts that signify good fortune. Made of four pieces of stone and supported by a stone platform, the stele is also called the Scripture on Filial Piety on the Stone Platform. The second exhibition hall houses the masterpieces of such famous calligraphers as Ouyang Xun, Zhu Zhuliang, Yan Zhenqing and Liu Gongquan. The third exhibition hall is all about the history andof Chinese calligraphy. Therefore calligraphies in all the styles: bone script, bronze engraving, seal style, official style, grass or swift style, regular style and running style can all be found here. By studying and appreciating theseof different ages and styles, one easily obtain a clue of the development of Chinese calligraphy. The fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh exhibition hall and the Exhibition Hall of Artistic Stone Carving all have their own unique feature and charms. Thanks to the immense collection, the museum is entitled the Treasury of Oriental Arts, the Mine of Chinese Calligraphy, and the Most Ancient Stone Book Storeroom in the World and so on