find-site
Chang'an (Xi'an): the Nestorian Stele of 781
Stele Forest (Beilin) Museum, Xi'an, China · Silk Road / overland route
34.256, 108.948
Approximate location.
Attested. The stele is attested and authentic. Its claims about imperial favour are the community's own presentation.
The Xi'an Stele, erected in 781 at the Tang capital Chang'an, records in Chinese and Syriac the arrival of the monk Alopen in 635 and 150 years of the 'Luminous Religion'. It names Adam (Jingjing) as author and lists clergy of Chang'an and Luoyang. It was unearthed between 1621 and 1625 and is now in the Stele Forest Museum.
Source stance: insider. Written by the Church of the East clergy of China.
People and groups named here
- Alopen (arrived 635)
- Adam / Jingjing (author)
- Emperor Taizong
Related places
Sources
- Xi'an Stele (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors. Accessed 2026-11-11.
- Dioceses of the Church of the East to 1318 (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors. Accessed 2026-11-11.
- Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor (UNESCO World Heritage List no. 1442)
UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Accessed 2026-11-11.
Further reading
Councils here
None in this list.