Abstract: Since the 1950s when urban construction accelerated in Chuxiong, a lot of old buildings have been dismantled and renovated, causing a large number of bricks with ancient inscriptions to fall into individual hands. This paper presents an analysis of 25 bricks of Chuxiong with ancient inscriptions collected by the author in recent years. Spanning 451 years, from 1385 in the Ming Dynasty to 1836 in the Qing Dynasty, these inscribed bricks bear valuable witness to the urban development of Chuxiong. To facilitate study of historical evolution of the town of Chuxiong and related cultural subjects by all interested parties and even to promote further collection and study of such bricks, rubbings of these bricks are displayed in this paper so that information regarding their specifications etc. is available for scholarly reference and quotation.

Key words: Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368—1911), Chuxiong prefecture, brick with inscription, historical memory