The Contents and Composition of Dataset for Luoyang Inscriptions during the Republic of China

Lyu, J. Q.

Luoyang Folk Museum, Luoyang 471000, China

Abstract: A series of Datasets for Luoyang Inscriptions during the period of Republic of China was published, which marks the establishment of a dataset for the inscriptions of Republic of China in Luoyang. It consists of 7 volumes, i.e., 5 normal volumes, 1 special volume for inscriptions in cemetery of Chang family, and 1 addendum volume. There are 670 pieces/sets of various inscriptions with 938,000 Chinese characters, covering inscriptions of the whole Luoyang, namely 9 counties/cities and 6 districts. The contents involve areas such as politics, economics, military affairs, culture, education, religion, law, and folk customs, which is of great significance in history, geography, culture relics, and calligraphy. The dataset includes: 1) digital pictures of 670 pieces/sets of inscription of Republic of China in Luoyang. Files are named with the numbers of inscriptions; 2) descriptions of the dataset for inscriptions of Republic of China in Luoyang, including but not limited to serial number, region, code, name, thumbnail, age, size (cm), specification (height×width), material, type, current location, status, and remarks. The dataset is in the formats of .tif, .jpg and .xls, comprised of 671 files (compressed in a file with the size of 3.13 GB).

Keywords: Luoyang; the Republican period; inscription; statistics

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3974/geodp.2021.04.13

CSTR: https://cstr.escience.org.cn/CSTR:20146.14.2021.04.13

Dataset Availability Statement:

The dataset supporting this paper was published and is accessible through the Digital Journal of Global Change Data Repository at: https://doi.org/10.3974/geodb.2021.07.07.V1 or https://cstr.escience.org.cn/CSTR:20146.11.2021.07.07.V1.

1 Introduction

Luoyang, the ancient capital of 13 dynasties in history of China, is a well-known city with a long history and splendid culture. It’s plenty of inscriptions in Mangshan Mountain and Luoyang (Mang-Luo Inscription in short), as one of the most important culture forms, plays a vital role domestically and internationally. However, less attention has been paid to the modern and contemporary inscription, which is also an important component of Chinese cultural relics and heritage. A research team of Luoyang Folk Museum proposed a project in 2015 in terms of the urgent protection to the modern and contemporary inscription. By end of 2021, a series of dataset for Luoyang Inscription during the Republic of China (7 volumes in total) had all been accomplished, including Vol.1, 2 and 3 of the Datasets for Luoyang Inscriptions During the Republic of China published by Ancient Books Publishing House in October 2015^[1], July 2016^[2] and March 2017^[3], respectively, and the album of Chang Family Tombstone, Vol.4 and 5, and the addendum Vol. of the Datasets for Luoyang Inscriptions During the Republic of China published by Thread-Binding Books Publishing House in January 2018^[4], November 2018^[5], August 2019^[6], November 2020^[7], which means that the project completed its goal in establishing a dataset for the inscriptions of the Republic of China in Luoyang.

2 Metadata of the Dataset

The metadata of the Dataset for Luoyang Inscriptions during the Period of Republic of China^[8] is summarized in Table 1.

Table 1  Metadata summary of the Dataset for Luoyang Inscriptions during the period of Republic of China  

3 Dataset Development

According to the division standard of Chinese historical stages, the Republic of China (1912–1949), which had a short history, includes two periods of Beiyang Government based in Beijing and Nationalist Government based in Nanjing. During the period, China was a backward country in the world due to political turmoil and social transformation. Luoyang was also diminished from a rich capital city to a small county.

Luoyang’s cultural deposits can date back to the Xia (2100–1600 BC), Shang (1600–1100 BC) and Zhou (1100–256 BC) dynasties, or even the origin of mankind, and reached a period of great prosperity in Han and Tang dynasties. Hence, scholars and experts paid less attention to Luoyang in the Republican period. In fact, we can see a rich and varied blend of Chinese culture during this period. Many of the historical and cultural carriers left from the upper and underclass in that period precipitated in profound cultural connotation and rich emotional implication. Luoyang also has various cultures, and the inscriptions are one of the most important genres. They are of great significance to collect, sort the materials of inscription and establish a specialized dataset for it. Prof. Zhao, Chao at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) wrote the preface for the Dataset for Luoyang Inscriptions during the Republic of China^[1]. I totally agree with his words of “traditional culture was preserved in spite of social transformation in the late Qing dynasty and early Republican period”; “Although there are lots of books and other materials in written formats of the Republican period, inscriptions are  irreplaceable as a mark of culture”; “These material data are valuable and very much needed in the historical studies”; “The authors of the Dataset for Luoyang Inscriptions during the Republic of China, with their keen foresight, identified the intellectual vacuum and filled the gap”.

3.1 The Scope of Luoyang Inscriptions during the Republic of China

(1) The definition of the contents

The inscription in the study refers to a generalized concept―words that are written or curved in something, such as stone tablets, epigraphs, couplets on pillar, horizontal inscribed boards, cliff inscriptions, inscribed poems and words, written statements, resolutions, Buddhism lections and josses, etc.

(2) The exact time of the inscriptions

Each piece is subject to the records of the inscription. In this paper, we only discuss the inscription in the Republican period, namely from January 1912 to September 1949.

(3) Geographic areas of the inscriptions

This paper excludes inscriptions identified by the local people but without a mark of “Republic of China”. The spatial scope covers 9 counties/cities and 6 districts in Luoyang, namely Yanshi city (presently Yanshi district), Mengjin county (presently Mengjin district), Xin’an county, Yichuan county, Yiyang county, Luoning county, Ruyang county, Songxian county, Luanchuan county, Jianxi district, Xigong district, Old City district, Chanhe River Hui district, Luolong district, and Jili district (presently a part of Mengjin district).

3.2 Investigation and Collection

The author has been focusing on the collection and research of the data regarding to the inscriptions during the Republic of China in Luoyang. The subject was proposed in the early autumn of 2014, after then, the author made the preparation with the assistance of Luoyang Cultural Heritage Bureau, relevant departments of counties/cities such as Yanshi and Mengjin. The project was officially launched in the early spring of 2015, after which we established a research group and an editorial committee for the book, and communicate with the local governments and relevant departments to solve the problems. With 4 years of field investigation of the city, all the rubbing progress of cultural relics had been accomplished by end of 2019.

3.3 Rubbings Sorting and Book Publishing

Several steps of rubbing, sorting and publishing are carried out simultaneously. After the production and data sorting of the rubbings (basic information, calculation, arrangement, planishing, photography…), the author came up with the figures and texts, and finally published it.

3.4 The Compilation of the Dataset

In the dataset, a range of relevant attribute data is detailed and compiled for all recorded inscriptions, including the code, name, age, size specification (height×width), texture, type, current address, preservation condition, notes, etc.

For example, No.145 in Yanshi Inscriptions is named The Monument of Liu, Zhaotang’s Teachings, which, belonging to the type of culture and education and well preserved in Zhongyao village of Gu county, was produced in 15^th year of the Republic of China (1926), with its size dimension 180 cm×51 cm, its texture of sapphire, and its notes marking the inscribed Chinese characters on both sides. Table 2–12, due to limited space, can only list some of the numbers, names, ages and current addresses of the inscriptions. And all recorded infor­mation is offered in the Dataset for Luoyang Inscriptions during the period of Republic of China.

4 The Contents of the Dataset

The composition of the dataset is divided into 11 groups according to the geographic locations of the discovery and preservation of the tablets: Luoyang City Group, Yanshi Group, Mengjin Group, Xin’an Group, Yichuan Group, Yiyan Group, Luoning Group, Songxian Group, Luanchuan Group and Changguan Family Ceremony Group, etc.

4.1 Luoyang City Inscriptions

The Luoyang City Inscription Group includes 94 stone tablets in Luoyang city (Table 2,  Figure 1). And the data information is listed in the data file of Info_Inscription.xls of the Dataset for Luoyang Inscriptions during the period of Republic of China^[8], its image data is compressed in the data file of Photos_Inscription_1.rar.

Table 2  Table of Luoyang City Inscriptions (94 pieces)

Note: For the information about Luoyang City Inscriptions, please refer to the Dataset for Luoyang Inscriptions during the period of Republic of China, 94 pieces of compressed image data (Photos_Inscription_1.rar).

4.2 Yanshi Inscriptions

The Yanshi Inscription Group includes 122 stone tablets in Yanshi (Table 3, Figure2). The information about the dataset is listed in the data file of Info_Inscription.xls of the Dataset for Luoyang Inscriptions during the period of Republic of China^[8], its image data is compressed in the data file of Photos_Inscription_2.rar.

4.3 Mengjin Inscriptions

The Mengjin Inscription Group includes 46 stone tablets in Mengjin (Figure 3, 4, Table 4, Figure 5). And information of the dataset is listed in the data file of Info_Inscription.xls of the Dataset for Luoyang Inscriptions during the period of Republic of China^[8], its image data is compressed in the data file of Photos_Inscription_2.rar.

Table 3  Table of Yanshi Inscriptions (122 pieces)

Note: For the information about Yanshi Inscriptions, please refer to the Dataset for Luoyang Inscriptions during the period of Republic of China, 122 pieces of compressed image data (Photos_Inscription_2.rar).

4.4 Xin’an Inscriptions

The Xin’an Inscription Group includes 45 stone tablets in Xin’an (Table 5, Figure 6, 7). And the data information is listed in the data file of Info_Inscription.xls of the Dataset for Luoyang Inscriptions during the period of Republic of China^[8], its image data is compressed in the data file of Photos_Inscription_3.rar.

4.5 Yichuan Inscriptions

The Yichuan Inscription Group includes 83 stone tablets in Yichuan (Table 6, Figure 8). And the data information is listed in the data file of Info_Inscription.xls of the Dataset for Luoyang Inscriptions during the period of Republic of China^[8], its image data is compressed in the data file of Photos_Inscription_4.rar.

Table 4  Table of Mengjin Inscriptions (46 pieces)

Note: For the information about Mengjin Inscriptions, please refer to the Dataset for Luoyang Inscriptions During the period of Republic of China, 46 pieces of compressed image data (Photos_Inscription_2.rar).

Table 5  Table of Xin’an Inscriptions (45 pieces)

Note: For the information about Xin’an Inscriptions, please refer to the Dataset for Luoyang Inscriptions during the period of Republic of China, 45 pieces of compressed image data (Photos_Inscription_3.rar).

Table 6  Table of Yichuan Inscriptions (83 pieces)

Note: For the information about Yichuan Inscriptions, please refer to the Dataset for Luoyang Inscriptions during the period of Republic of China, 83 pieces of compressed image data (Photos_Inscription_4.rar).

4.6 Yiyang Inscriptions

The Yiyang Inscription Group includes 104 stone tablets in Yiyang (Table 7, Figure9). And information of the dataset is listed in the data file of Info_Inscription.xls of the Dataset for Luoyang Inscriptions during the period of Republic of China^[8], its image data is compressed in the data file of Photos_Inscription_4.rar.

4.7 Luoning Inscriptions

The Luoning Inscription Group includes 50 stone tablets in Luoning (Table 8, Figure 10). And information of the dataset is listed in the data file of Info_Inscription.xls of the Dataset for Luoyang Inscription during the period of Republic of China^[8], its image data is compressed in the data file of Photos_Inscription_5.rar.

4.8 Ruyang Inscriptions

The Ruyang Inscription Group includes 35 stone tablets in Ruyang (Table 9, Figure 11). And information of the dataset is listed in the data file of Info_Inscription.xls of the Dataset for

Luoyang Inscriptions during the period of Republic of China^[8], its image data is compressed in the data file of Photos_Inscription_5.rar.

Table 7  Table of Yiyang Inscriptions (104 pieces)

Note: For the information about Yiyang Inscriptions, please refer to The Dataset for Luoyang Inscriptions During the Republic of China, 104 pieces of compressed image data (Photos_Inscription_4.rar).

Table 8  Table of Luoning Inscriptions (50 pieces)

Note: For the information about Luoning Inscriptions, please refer to The Dataset for Luoyang Inscriptions During the period of Republic of China, 50 pieces of compressed image data (Photos_Inscription_5.rar).

Table 9  Table of Ruyang Inscription (35 pieces)

Note: For the information about Ruyang Inscriptions, please refer to The Dataset for Luoyang Inscription During the Republic of China, 35 pieces of compressed image data (Photos_Inscription_5.rar).

4.9 Songxian Inscriptions

The Songxian Inscription Group includes 17 stone tablets in Songxian (Table 10, Figure 12). And information of the dataset is listed in the data file of Info_Inscription.xls of the Dataset for Luoyang Inscriptions during the period of Republic of China^[8], its image data is compressed in the data file of Photos_Inscription_5.rar.

Table 10  Table of Songxian Inscriptions (17 pieces) 

Note: For the information about Songxian Inscription, please refer to The Dataset for Luoyang Inscriptions During the Republic of China, 17 pieces of compressed image data (Photos_Inscription_5.rar).

4.10 Luanchuan Inscriptions

The Luanchuan Inscription Group includes 43 stone tablets in Luanchuan (Table11, Figure13). And information of the dataset is listed in the data file of Info_Inscription.xls of the Dataset for Luoyang Inscriptions during the period of Republic of China^[8], its image data is compressed in the data file of Photos_Inscription_6.rar.

4.11 The Inscriptions of Changguan’s Cemetery Stone Carving Art Gallery

The Inscriptions of Changguan’s Cemetery Stone Carving Art Gallery includes 31 stone tablets in this Gallery (Table 12, Figure 14). And information of the dataset is listed in the data file of Info_Inscription.xls of The Dataset for Luoyang Inscriptions During the period of Republic of China^[8], its image data is compressed in the data file of Photos_Inscription_7.rar.

Table 11  Table of Luanchuan Inscriptions (43 pieces)

Note: For the information about Luanchuan Inscriptions, please refer to The Dataset for Luoyang Inscriptions During the Republic of China, 43 pieces of compressed image data (Photos_Inscription_6.rar).

 Table 12  Table of the inscriptions in Changguan’s Cemetery Stone Carving Art Gallery (31 pieces)

Note: For the information about Inscriptions of Changguan’s Cemetery Stone Carving Art Gallery, please refer to The Dataset for Luoyang Inscriptions during the period of Republic of China, 31 pieces of compressed image data (Photos_Inscription_7.rar).

In the dataset, we use the administrative planning of Luoyang in 2015. Luoyang is then divided into 9 counties/cities, namely Yanshi, Mengjin, Xin’an, Yichuan, Yiyang, Luoning, Ruyang, Songxian, and Luanchuan. The central urban area (including 6 districts) is regarded as a whole, which is put into the front of the list, while the nine counties/cities are listed in the order of the time of their inscriptions. We take the cemetery of Chang family as an independent area and put it at the end.

Conflicts of Interest

The author declare no conflicts of interest.

References

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