Editor's note: A que is a stone carving erected in front of a temple or tomb, serving as a ceremonial tower in traditional Chinese architecture. The que towers may appear in pairs or on each side of the road leading to the temple or tomb. They were usually carved with inscriptions recording the owners' official rank and achievements. Some, however, were only engraved with patterns to serve as decorative pillars. The use of que reached its peak in the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD), and most of the 2,000-year-old que are preserved in Quxian county, Sichuan province. 

Pujiawan Que in Quxian county, Sichuan province. There are altogether six que towers remaining in the county. (Photo by Yao Ping/China.org.cn)