Perched on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, a stone has captivated scholars by reshaping the narrative of early Chinese history. The Garitang Keshi, which can be translated as "Garitang Engraved Stone," has been identified as an authentic relic of the Qin Dynasty (221BC-206BC). It records an imperial mission by Emperor Qinshihuang, who unified China for the first time, to seek the elixir of life from the mythical Kunlun Mountains. Scholars highlight the stone as a geographic anchor that places the legendary "Kunlun" near the source region of the Yellow River, making it irrefutable proof of the exchanges between the Central Plains and the plateau over 2,200 years ago. This series will illuminate how this stone embodies the interconnected nature of Chinese culture shaped by ethnic exchanges, decode the multidisciplinary science behind the find, and explore the evolving legend of the Kunlun myth. This is the first installment of the trilogy.
Standing at the engraved stone, one can imagine that more than 2,200 years ago, a group of envoys dispatched by Emperor Qinshihuang arrived at the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, tired, cold, but hopeful, carving their progress into the stone before continuing their journey to the sacred Kunlun Mountains, a mystical mountain range seen as a connection between Heaven and Earth.
Unbeknownst to them, that stone would slumber for millennia before its rediscovery sent shock waves through the world of archaeology, drawing experts and the curious alike who dream to come to this remote, uninhabited zone in the Three-River-Source National Park.
This engraved stone, as a bridge across time, is now known as the Garitang Keshi. It is the only known Qin Dynasty (221BC-206BC) engraved stone still preserved at its original site and the one located at the highest altitude during the historic period, according to a press release issued by China's National Cultural Heritage Administration (NCHA).
Its authentication has dramatically expanded the historical boundaries of Chinese civilization westward, igniting a profound re-examination of the Qin Dynasty's reach, the geography of the Yellow River's headwaters, and the enduring cultural power of the myths linked to the Kunlun Mountains.
How was this inscription verified? Why does it fundamentally reshape our understanding of early China's frontiers? And perhaps most intriguingly, how did ancient travelers conquer the long journey from the Qin capital of Xianyang all the way to the treacherous high-altitude wilderness at the "roof of the world?"
To answer these questions, research teams have been to the site several times to carry out exploration.
"Based on years of field experience, we immediately recognized it as a carefully chosen optimal spot," recalled Li Jiyuan, a deputy research fellow from the Qinghai Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology who has visited the site four times.
The inscription was carved into a rock shelter in a place called Garitang near Gyaring Lake's north shore, a location that offered natural protection from the wind and ensured both its preservation and visibility to passers-by.
"This demonstrates the thoughtful wisdom behind the ancients' choice of site for the stone inscription," Li told the Global Times, adding that "Garitang" means "flat ground for coming, going, and resting" in the Tibetan language.
"Archaeological research shows that this lakeside region was an area of frequent human activities dating back to the Paleolithic period," said Wang Jinxian, director of the Qinghai Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology.
"From the perspective of natural topography, climatic conditions, and regional historical context, the Gyaring Lake area possessed all the necessary conditions for the appearance of a Qin-era inscribed stone," he told the Global Times.
Detective work
The authentication of the Garitang Keshi demonstrates the power of multidisciplinary collaboration.
To verify its authenticity following an article pointing out the significance of the site, NCHA swiftly gathered professionals specializing in stone cultural relics protection, Qin and Han dynasties archaeology, paleography, calligraphy, and seal carving to conduct in-depth research and analysis from diverse perspectives.
This interdisciplinary integration broke from the monotony of traditional archaeological studies, enabling a more comprehensive understanding of the discovery.
According to NCHA, the inscription consists of 37 characters, carved in xiaozhuan, or small seal script, the systematic writing style standardized by the Qin Dynasty to unify the Warring States' diverse scripts. The characters are spread across an area of 0.16 square meters, and situated 19 centimeters above the ground.
Li Ling, a veteran archaeologist and paleographer at Peking University, provided a modern translation of the inscription during a press conference held by NCHA on September 15: "The emperor dispatched grand master Yi, leading specialist in esoteric arts, to gather medicinal herbs from Kunlun. On the jimao day [the 16th day of ancient China's 60-day sexagenary cycle] of the third month of the 37th year of the emperor's reign [210BC], Yi's carriage arrived here. The destination lay approximately 150 li [75 kilometers] away."
That final phrase was the key. "The only clear geographical name is 'Kunlun,' and the '150 li' undoubtedly points toward the destination," explained Tong Tao, a research fellow from the Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, upon examination of the site. Converting ancient measurements places this target west of Gyaring Lake, in the region of Xingxiu Hai (Lit: Starry Sea), an area long-associated with the source of the Yellow River and mentioned in ancient texts like the Classic of Mountains and Seas (a major source of Chinese mythology that dates back more than 2,000 years), Tong explained, according to the Guangming Daily.
More technological means were then brought to carry out further research. Teams deployed high-precision, non-contact digital enhancement.
"We used advanced photogrammetry and 3D modeling," Li Li, vice president of the Chinese Academy of Cultural Heritage, which conducted science and technology research at the site, told the Global Times.
This technology boosted image clarity by up to 90 percent, revealing crucial details: The tool marks were made by flat-bladed chisels, consistent with Qin-period technology. Laboratory analysis confirmed the stone was quartz sandstone, which is highly resistant to weathering.
"The weathering products and secondary minerals within the incisions confirm they have been exposed to the elements for an extremely long period," stated Deng Chao, an official from NCHA, at the September press conference.
Officials from the NCHA have hailed the Garitang Keshi as a landmark achievement of China's Fourth National Cultural Relics Census. Positioned at the source of the Yellow River, the engraved stone is recognized as filling a crucial gap in the historical record and holds immense significance, bearing important historical, artistic, and scientific value.
Pluralistic integration
Beyond its historical and scientific value, the Garitang Keshi has reignited conversations about "Kunlun," a name that blends geography, myth, and national identity. For millennia, Kunlun has been China's spiritual heartland, a sacred mountain associated with immortality and creation. Meanwhile, the discovery has also reshaped the narrative of the Qin Empire's western borders and its interactions with ethnic groups on the plateau, scholars said.
"Seeing it in person answered most of my questions," Huo Wei, academic dean of Sichuan University's School of History and Culture, told the Global Times, his voice still carrying the excitement of that encounter.
He summarized the stone as a record of achievement.
"The envoys, after an arduous trek, reached this spot, faced the lake, and carved these words," he said.
However, Huo's interpretation reaches far beyond a simple travel log.
"This stone is physical evidence of the Qin Dynasty's reach into its western territories," he stated. "More importantly, it reflects the contribution of the ancient plateau peoples to the 'Kunlun myth.' It is an early witness to the pluralistic unity, interaction, and integration of the Chinese nation."
This shared cultural belief in "Kunlun" and the origin of the Yellow River provided a powerful cognitive common ground. It created a form of early cultural glue.
As archaeologist Li Jiyuan notes, the "herb-gathering" mission recorded on the engraved stone was a state-level act that "reflects a common recognition of 'Kunlun' and the 'Yellow River source' between the Central Plains dynasty and the local populations on the plateau."
Critically, this was not a one-sided imperial foray into a vacuum. The mission's very success implies collaboration.
Historical records, such as the Book of the Later Han - Biography of the Qiang, detail the presence of various Qiang tribes across this very region.
"It is unimaginable that the Qin emperor's envoys could have gone there to collect herbs without local guides," Tang Huisheng, a professor specializing in Qinghai-Xizang rock art at Hebei Normal University, told the Global Times.
He added that this discovery pushes back the timeline of Kunlun's transformation from a mythical mountain to a geographical reality to the Qin Dynasty period, noting the inscription is living proof of ethnic communication, cultural exchange, and mutual understanding.
Furthermore, the stone's location maps the embryonic networks of what would become historic trans-Asian routes.
Li Jiyuan points out that the inscription's mention of "carriage arrived here" suggests the use of established, navigable tracks. Based on this, it can be reasonably concluded that the Qin Dynasty had already gained a fundamental understanding of the transportation routes leading to the source of the Yellow River and the Kunlun Mountains region. This indicates that transport links between the Central Plains and the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau had been established by that time, which likely formed an early prototype of what later became known as the "Qinghai Route of the Silk Road" and the "Tang-Xizang Ancient Road."
"These routes provided the transportation foundation for the frequent cultural exchange, integration, and population interaction between the heart of China and the high plateau over the long term," said Li.
During China's Fourth National Cultural Relics Census, research teams have identified 75 additional cultural relic sites within a 150-kilometer radius of the site, spanning from the Paleolithic to modern times, thereby painting a picture of a region perennially inhabited and traversed, according to NCHA.
As the sun dips below the snow-capped mountains of the Three-River-Source, casting golden light on the Garitang Keshi, history and legend have finally shaken hands.
Source: Global Times:
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Contact Person: Anna Li
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