A 300-year-old, 40-ton stone stele, which is a flat stone with carvings on it, has been discovered in Beijing.

The stone was carved with two articles written by Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty in both the Chinese and Manchurian languages.

All the characters and decorations on the stele are well preserved.

The articles, respectively entitled On Imperial Capital and On National Capital, tell of Emperor Qianlong's opinion of which city should be the nation's capital.

After some comparisons, they conclude that Beijing is the best choice as China's capital.

The huge stele, which is an important cultural relic discovered in Beijing since the entry of 21st century, will soon be displayed to the public in the new hall of Capital Museum.

(CRI.com April 4, 2005)