347-yr-old forest protection stone tablet discovered in central China

CHANGSHA -- A stone tablet recording forest protection contents dating back to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) was discovered in Central China's Hunan province, local authorities said Sunday.

The stone tablet was found under a tree in Jinxing Village, Maoping Town, according to the publicity department of the Miao autonomous county of Chengbu.

With a height of 1.36 meters and a side length of 45 cm, the cuboid has characters carved on its four sides, with some saying that "trees planted by forefathers can shade their descendants, and people of this clan are not allowed to cut down trees."

The tablet was set up in 1672, according to the inscription.

"This stone tablet not only has cultural value, but also shows that people had a strong sense of ecological protection as early as in early Qing Dynasty, which also inspires us today," said Xiao Qing, director of the cultural relics bureau of the county.