This photo taken in July 2023 shows an engraved stone discovered on the northern shore of Gyaring Lake in Maduo County, northwest China’s Qinghai Province. (Xinhua)
XINING, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) — A stone inscription discovered on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, known as the “roof of the world,” was identified as China’s only known Qin Dynasty (221 B.C.-207 B.C.) engraved stone still preserved at its original site and of the highest altitude from that historical period, said Chinese authorities on Monday.
The stone is situated on the northern shore of Gyaring Lake in Maduo County, northwest China’s Qinghai Province, at an altitude of 4,306 meters. The inscribed surface area is about 0.16 square meters and contains 37 characters, according to China’s National Cultural Heritage Administration (NCHA).
In 2020, Hou Guangliang, a professor at Qinghai Normal University, led an expedition and discovered the inscription. He said it shows how people were already venturing onto the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, as early as the Qin Dynasty.
“It stands as vivid historical evidence of China’s diverse yet unified civilization,” he said.
Tong Tao, a researcher at the Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), studied the stone. He published an article this June, which attracted significant attention.
Tong said the stone documented Emperor Qinshihuang of the Qin Dynasty, who unified China for the first time, dispatched alchemists in search of the “elixir of life,” and they made a stop at Gyaring Lake in the source area of the country’s Yellow River. However, his interpretation sparked debate regarding the dating of the inscription, with some people suspecting that the stone carving was a modern forgery.
Thereafter, the NCHA arranged experts to conduct field investigations and gather data on the stone and its surrounding environment, and organized specialized seminars. After careful study, the inscription was authenticated as belonging to the Qin Dynasty, according to Deng Chao, an official with the NCHA.
Deng noted that, through high-precision information augmentation technology and mineral and elemental analysis, researchers excluded the possibility that the inscriptions were carved using modern alloy tools.
Both the grooves inside the inscriptions and the stone’s surface exhibit secondary minerals, indicating long-term natural weathering and ruling out the possibility of recent carving, he said.
Through laboratory analysis, the carved stone is determined to be composed of quartz sandstone, known for its high resistance to abrasion and weathering.
“Systematic scientific methods were applied to date and authenticate this single ancient stone inscription, pioneering a new model for stone-inscription authentication in China,” said Zhao Chao, a researcher of the Institute of Archaeology of the CASS, a participant of the investigation.
Noting that the inscription has remained largely intact, with most of its characters still clearly legible, Deng said that featuring a complete date not found in existing records, it helps fill gaps in the historical narrative and carries significant historical, artistic and scientific value. ■
This photo taken on July 25, 2025 shows the Qin Dynasty engraved stone discovered on the northern shore of Gyaring Lake in Maduo County, northwest China’s Qinghai Province. (Xinhua/Du Xiaowei)
This photo taken on July 25, 2025 shows the Qin Dynasty engraved stone discovered on the northern shore of Gyaring Lake in Maduo County, northwest China’s Qinghai Province. (Xinhua/Du Xiaowei)
A press conference is held by China’s National Cultural Heritage Administration in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 15, 2025. (Xinhua/Li He)
A press conference is held by China’s National Cultural Heritage Administration in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 15, 2025. (Xinhua/Li He)
This photo taken on July 25, 2025 shows the Qin Dynasty engraved stone discovered on the northern shore of Gyaring Lake in Maduo County, northwest China’s Qinghai Province. (Xinhua/Du Xiaowei)
An aerial drone photo taken on July 25, 2025 shows a view of the northern shore of Gyaring Lake, where the Qin Dynasty engraved stone was discovered, in Maduo County, northwest China’s Qinghai Province. (Xinhua/Du Xiaowei)
An aerial drone photo taken on July 25, 2025 shows a view of the northern shore of Gyaring Lake, where the Qin Dynasty engraved stone was discovered, in Maduo County, northwest China’s Qinghai Province. (Xinhua/Du Xiaowei)
This photo taken on July 25, 2025 shows the Qin Dynasty engraved stone discovered on the northern shore of Gyaring Lake in Maduo County, northwest China’s Qinghai Province. (Xinhua/Du Xiaowei)
A press conference is held by China’s National Cultural Heritage Administration in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 15, 2025. (Xinhua/Li He)
This photo taken in July 2023 shows an engraved stone discovered on the northern shore of Gyaring Lake in Maduo County, northwest China’s Qinghai Province. (Xinhua)
