Harvard University - 300th Anniversary of Founding - Cambridge, MA - Commercial Commemorations on Waymarking.com

In Cambridge, on the campus of Harvard University, is this marble monument given by Harvard alumni in China commemorating the 300th anniversary of Harvard's founding.

The monument sits near the west side of Widener Library and east of Grays Hall.

The statue is roughly 15 ft tall and 6 ft by 8 ft wide. The form is a Chinese dragon supporting a tall tablet. The entire sculpture has visible erosion. Text - in Chinese - is visible but barely legible. A plaque at the base has the following about the monument (English shide shown):

"300th Anniversary Stele

This slender marble slab, or stele, was presented to Harvard in 1936 as a gift from Chinese alumni on the occasion of the University's tercentenary. The inscription commemorates the importance of culture and learning both in the United States and China. The full Chinese text is 370 words long; the original calligraphy, in kaishu style, is that of the famous scholar - diplomat Hu Shi (1891 - 1962), who took part in the 1936 ceremonies as the representative of Peking University and received an honorary degree. The full text and translation, along with further information, is available via the QR code link."

There is an article from the Harvard Gazette about efforts to scan the monument in 3D to preserve the appearance. The article also stated that the sculpture is covered over in the winter (no evidence of that during the visit in August 2017). The article mentioned that at one time the background to the text was painted black.

Source:

Smithsonian Art Inventory (Chinese Ch'ing Dynasty Stele):
(visit link)

Harvard University (Gazette - A Monumental Task...):
(visit link)

Anniversary Year: 300 Year of Event, Organization or Occurance: 1936 Address: Harvard Brick Yard Harvard University Cambridge, MA United States of America 02138 Website: [Web Link]

Visit Instructions:
1. Original photo if possible. A narrative of your visit.

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Date Logged Log   07/12/2018 lesden visited it