The Xiling Seal Engraver's Society

Xiling Seal Engravers'Society is a well known academic society majors in studying inscriptions on ancient bronzes and stone tablets. Zhejiang Government declared it as a major provincial protected monument. In 1904, it was founded by the epigraphists like Ding Ren, Wang Yi, Ye Ming and Wu Yin. And became a formal organization in 1913, with Wu Changshuo, a famous epigraphist, was appointed as the famous painter being the first director. Currently, there are plenty of valuable inscriptions and stone carvings in the Society dating back 1940 years to the Eastern Han Dynasty. This Society is also a beautiful traditional garden. Situated on the Solitary Hill by West Lake, the whole garden creates a serene, agreeable atmosphere that mingles scenery with art. The major buildings of the garden include the Cypress Hall, Bamboo Chamber, Revered Sages' Pavilion, Happiness Tower and Pagoda of Avatamsaka Sutra etc. Kept in the Han Sanlao stone house, is the Stele of Sanlao regarding the Taboo Names and Dates of Death with 217 legible character in remain. It was unearthed in Yuyao County in 1921. The cutting of stone tablets records the events which happened in the early years of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Therefore, it is deemed by both Chinese and foreign epigraphists as a treasured work of art. The members of the society raised a big amount of silver dollars to buy it back and kept it in the rightful place.