Where did Headstones Originate?

Chinese culture has an obvious patriarchal ethical character. It is a long-standing cultural tradition of China to carve inscriptions on castings and memorize virtues for ancestors. As a Granite Cemetery Headstones  attached to the tomb, it is the direct continuation of this tradition. The study of tablet inscriptions began in the Eastern Han Dynasty and took shape in the Song Dynasty with the formal birth of the science of gold and stone, while the monograph on tombstones did not appear until modern times. Until now, the research on tombstones is still only focused on the level of verifying classics and complementing history, textual examination and calligraphy appreciation. The cultural product of tombstones itself lacks both deep theoretical thinking and comprehensive research on specific forms, especially the discussion on the origin, evolution and establishment of systems of tombstones is relatively weak.

In the Han Dynasty, the vertical stone had another function, that is, it was used as a funerary tool. Because at that time the Granite Headstones of the noble bureaucrat is very deep, when the coffin is stopped to the tomb, the four corners of the tomb are often set up, so, there will be a tombstone. Han Dynasty classics master Zheng Xuan note: monument, big wood for it, such as stone monument, stop before and after the four horns of the tree, wear, in between for lu, under the coffin with wisp around, the son of heaven six wisp four monument.

The "monument" here is cut wood made, shaped like a stone monument. When the coffin is stopped for burial, one is set at each corner of the tomb. There is a circular perforation on the tablet, and the rope is tied in the hole. One end of the rope is wound on the wheels, and the other end is tied on the coffin.

Therefore, it can also be said that Chinese tombstones originated from the "monument" used as a traction coffin for burial in ancient times. It was originally wooden, no text, since the Han Dynasty, people to remember the performance of the dead, they use the ready-made wooden tablet, writing the life story of the dead and the words of eulogizing virtues, the middle of the tablet head is still chisel hole, called "wear", so that the tombstone will be formally formed.