Lanting Eight Columns (Eight Pillars of the Orchid Pavilion) (兰亭八柱)

The short answer: The 'Eight Pillars of the Orchid Pavilion' are eight stone pillars engraved with classic calligraphy — most famously Wang Xizhi's 'Preface to the Orchid Pavilion' (兰亭集序) and related imperial copies — housed in Yuegu Lou (阅古楼) in Beihai Park. They are a celebrated calligraphic-cultural relic associated with the Qianlong Emperor's collection and stored within a pavilion complex in Beihai.

At a glance

Where it is: Yuegu Lou (阅古楼), Beihai Park (北海公园), Xicheng District, Beijing

What it is

The 'Eight Pillars of the Orchid Pavilion' are eight stone pillars engraved with classic calligraphy — most famously Wang Xizhi's 'Preface to the Orchid Pavilion' (兰亭集序) and related imperial copies — housed in Yuegu Lou (阅古楼) in Beihai Park. They are a celebrated calligraphic-cultural relic associated with the Qianlong Emperor's collection and stored within a pavilion complex in Beihai.

Why it's worth the stop

Eight stone pillars engraved with the Orchid Pavilion Preface and other master calligraphy
Located inside Yuegu Lou (阅古楼), a little-known calligraphy treasury in Beihai Park
Linked to the Qianlong Emperor's imperial calligraphy collection (including the 'Sanxi Tang' treasures)