“碑林”这个名字是清代初年才确定的。碑林现收藏有从汉代到清代的碑石3 000余件，分别置于7个陈列室、6个墓志廊和1个碑亭展出。碑林是收藏我国古代碑石时间最早、数目最大的一座艺术宝库。

西安碑林内容丰富，它既是我国古代书法艺术的宝库，又汇集了古代文献典籍和石刻图案；记述了我国文化发展的部分成就；反映了中外文化交流的史实，因而驰名中外。到西安旅游，如不参观碑林，将会遗憾终生。

1961年3月，国务院公布碑林为全国重点文物保护单位。

碑林第一陈列室前是专为陈列“石台孝经”而修盖的碑亭。《孝经》是孔子的一个学生将孔子所讲授的孝道加以整理，编纂而形成的一部儒家经典。“石台孝经”是碑林保存的最大的石碑，刻于公元745年，由唐玄宗李隆基亲自书写。此碑底座由3层石台组成，上面刻有生动的线刻画，有蔓草、狮子花纹等，上端是浮雕卷云瑞兽。因为碑由4块石头组成，底下有石台，所以称为“石台孝经”。

碑林第一陈列室主要陈列“开成石经”，“开成石经”因所有石经均刻成于唐文宗开成二年，因此而得名。它包括的儒家的经典著作有《周易》、《仪礼》、《礼记》、《春秋左氏传》、《论语》、《孝经》、《尔雅》等12部经书，计650 252字，用石114方，两面刻文。清代补刻的《孟子》17面30 000余字也陈列于此，合称《十三经》。以上著作作为历史文献，具有重要的历史价值。

碑林第二陈列室主要陈列唐代著名书法家的碑石，历来都是人们学习书法的范本。其中有唐代著名书法家欧阳询写的“黄甫诞碑”；有“小欧阳”之称的欧阳询之子欧阳通写的“道因法师碑”；颜真卿写的“多宝塔碑”和“颜氏家庙碑”；晚唐柳公权写的“玄秘塔碑”；长安弘福寺和尚怀仁集王羲之之字刻成的、世称“千金帖”的“大唐三藏圣教序碑”以及驰名中外的“大秦景教流行中国碑”，该碑记述了景教的教义、教旨在我国的传播及景教徒在唐代150年中活动的情况。此外，在许多碑的侧面，还刻有结构精细、瑰丽的纹饰，是学习中国民族形式的图案和应用古代装饰艺术的宝贵资料。

碑林第三陈列室保存有汉至宋代各种字体的珍贵碑石，包括篆书、隶书、楷书、行书、草书5种字体。中国的书法有着悠久的历史。就书体而言，总的说来是由繁入简，大体可以分为篆、隶、楷、行、草5种技法。风格上丰富多彩，名家辈出。通过这些碑石，人们可以了解我国书法及文字的演变过程。其中著名的有唐朝怀素和尚用1 000个不重复的汉字组成的我国古代儿童的启蒙识字课本草书“千字文碑”。他的草书豪放有力，对后世书法有很大影响。

第四陈列室保存宋至清代名书法家的诗文真迹以及明清时期有珍贵史料价值的碑石，还有一部分宋至清代的各种线刻画。

第五陈列室主要陈列宋、元、明、清各代记述修庙、记功、修渠、筑城等史实的碑石，是研究当时社会和地方史的参考资料。陈列室还陈列有清代马德昭的“虎”、“寿”、“福”等一笔而就的大型题字碑石，笔力遒劲，气势磅礴，给参观者以美的感受。

第六陈列室陈列的碑石都是元、明、清代的诗文碑石。其中元代赵孟的“游天冠山诗碑”、明代董其昌的“秣陵旅舍送会稽章生碑”以及清代玄烨（康熙皇帝）临米芾的“赐吴赫书”及林则徐的“游华山诗”等，都是难得的珍贵石碑。

第七陈列室是1982年新建的一个陈列室，专门保存宋《淳化秘阁帖》。《淳化秘阁帖》共10卷，是宋代以前我国书法作品的汇集。原版刻成不久即毁，因此由宋到清，公、私复刻本很多。西安碑林所藏《淳化秘阁帖》是公元1646年篆刻的，共145面，两面刻字。

It was not until the early Qing Dynasty that the“Forest of Stone Tablets”was officially named.It now houses over 3 000 stone tablets from the Han Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty.The stone tablets are now on display in seven display rooms，six epitaph corridors and one tablet pavilion.The treasure house comprises a large collection of centuries－old stone tablets.

The tablets bear evidence to the cultural achievements recorded in ancient China and the cultural exchanges between China and other countries. No tourist should take a risk of missing the Forest of Stone Tablets once they visit Xi'an.

The State Council declared the Forest of Stone Tablets a top－priority national historical monument in March 1961.

In front of the first display room is the Tablet Pavilion specially built for The Classic on Fi－lial Piety.It was a Confucian classic compiled by one of his students，after attending lectures given by his teacher.It is the largest stone tablet in the Forest of Stone Tablets.It was engraved from the hand－written copy of Emperor Xuanzong（Li Longgi）in 745 AD.The tablet is set on a three－layer base，with vivid carvings of trailing plants and lions.The upper part is de－corated with clouds and animals in bas－relief.The tablet is made up of four pieces of stone，with a base under it，and is called the Stone－based Classic on Filial Piety.

The First Display Room houses the Kaicheng Stone Classics.They are famous as the stone classics which were inscribed in the 2nd year of Emperor Kaicheng's reign of the Tang Dynasty，hence the name.They include twelve classical works of the Confucian school such as The Rites of the Zhou Dy nasty，The Book of Ceremonies，The Book of Rites，Zuo Qiuming's Commentary on Spring and Autumn Annals，The Analects of Confucius，The Classic on Filial Piety and Erya.The classics，with a total number of 650 252 characters，were en graved double－sided on 114 stone tablets.The dis play room also houses another classic entitled Men cius，with 30 000 characters.It was engraved on 17 stone tablets in the Qing Dynasty.This classic a long with 12 others are called the Thirteen Classics. The above－mentioned works are all historical docu ments and materials that are of great historical value.

The Second Display Room mainly houses stone tablets of calligraphy written by famous calligraphers of the Tang Dynasty.These tablets serve as models for learners of calligraphy to copy.Examples are the Tablet to Huangpu Dan by Ouyang Xun，the Tablet to Master Daoyin by Ouyang Tong，the son of Ouyang Xun，the Tablet to Duobao Pagoda and the Tablet to the Yan's Ancestral Temple by Yan Zhenqing，the Tablet to the Mysterious Pagoda by Liu Gongquan，A Forward to the Sacred Teaching of Xuanzang（also know as the Priceless Tablet）by Huairen（a monk from the Hongfu Temple in Chang'an）who collected the characters written by Wang Xizhi for this tablet.Another tablet is the world famous Nestorian Tablet which offers an introduction to the doctrines，rites and influence of Nestorianism，and the activities of its Chinese believers during the Tang Dynasty.Aside from those mentioned above，you can see the sides of these steles have some exquisitely carved floral patterns and motifs that serve as valuable models for us to follow in the study and application of the national decorative designs of ancient China.

The Third Display Room houses stone tablets that range from the Han Dynasty to the Song Dynasty.They bear a wide variety of Chinese script forms，including seal script，official script，regular script，running script and cursive script.Chinese calligraphy has a long history.As far as its styles areconcerned，the general tendency is from the complex to the simple.They include the following five styles：seal character，official script，regular script and running hand as well as cursive script.Among the colorful and varied styles，there emerged many famous calligraphers in China.These stone tablets show the evolution of the Chinese writing system. Among them the 1 000－character Stone Tablet in cursive script written by the celebrated calligrapher Monk Huaisu in the Tang Dynasty is one of the most famous tablets preserved in the museum.It comprises 1 000 different characters.The stone tablet is said to have been carved as a primer for children in ancient times.His bold and unconstrained style of writing was followed by other calligraphers in later periods.

The Fourth Display Room houses works of poetry in the authentic handwriting of well－known calligraphers from the Song through the Qing dynasties，tablets of historical significance in the Ming and Qing dynasties，and some line engravings from the Song through the Qing dynasties.

The Fifth Display Room houses the stone tablets which record such historical facts as temple repairs，merit registration，canal digging and wall mending during the Song，the Yuan，the Ming and the Qing Dynasties.They provide valuable reference data for the study of society and local history.There are also some tablets inscribed with big characters written in a single stroke by Ma Dezhao in the Qing Dynasty. They include“tiger”，“longevity”and“happiness”. The characters assume a vigorous style and offer much enjoyment to viewers.

The Sixth Display Room mainly houses the stone tablets of poetry and verses that dated back to the Yuan，the Ming and the Qing Dynasties.Typical examples are A Visit to Mount Tianguan by Zhao Mengfu of the Yuan Dynasty，Farewell to Zhang Sheng in Moling Inn by Dong Qichang of the Ming Dynasty，The Imperial Letter to Wu He by Xuan Ye（Emperor Kangxi）and The Poem About His Tour to Huashan Mountain by Lin Zexu of the Qing Dynasty. All are precious and rare stone steles that cannot be seen elsewhere.

The Seventh Display Room was built in 1982，and houses the Secret Court Copybook of Chunhua from the Song Dynasty.The secret copybook is made up of ten volumes that are a collection of the works of Chinese calligraphers before the Song Dynasty.The original book was destroyed not long after it was engraved.However，many private and public copies of the woodcarving can be found from the Song to the Qing Dynasties.The present copy，an imitation，was engraved double－sided on 145 stone tablets in 1646.