Erected in 1751 during Emperor Qianlong’s reign, this grand and well-proportioned 9.8 meter-high stele was meticulously carved out of a single piece of rock. The six Chinese characters inscribed on its front are Emperor Qianlong’s calligraphy meaning Longevity Hill, Kunming Lake. On the reverse is the complete text of the essay, A Note on Kunming Lake and Longevity Hill, written by Qianlong to describe why and how the lake was expanded.