The Cao Quan Stele was erected in the tenth month of the second year of the Zhongping period of the Eastern Han dynasty (AD 185). It was unearthed in Heyang, Shaanxi during the Ming dynasty and is now preserved in the Xi’an Beilin Museum. The inscription records Cao Quan’s life, achievements, and lineage, and also mentions the Yellow Turban uprising led by Zhang Jiao. Its elegant, graceful style, balanced structure, complete body, and clear characters make it one of the finest works from the peak period of Eastern Han clerical script.