临淮王像碑全称“司空公青州刺史临淮王像碑”。碑高4.45米，宽1.6米，于北齐时期建于青州南阳寺，又因为它规制巨大，故称“大齐碑”。碑额由两条盘旋的巨龙和佛像组成，中部阳刻“司空公青州刺史临淮王像碑”12字的篆书，碑文为阴刻隶书，共29行，满行58字，现在残缺了近百字。碑上阳刻“龙兴之寺”四个大字，系唐朝北海郡太守李邕书写。这块碑是我国南北朝时期最大的石碑，有重要的文物、艺术价值，被定为国家一级文物。
碑文的内容乃是记述和赞扬北齐青州刺史娄定远重修南阳寺的功德。全文体现两汉以来骈赋风格，铺陈夸饰，汪洋恣肆，辞藻极为华丽。文章开头，即感慨沧海桑田，人间变化无端，世事更替无常，只有佛祖慈悲，普渡众生；接着歌颂娄定远的功业与品德，进而讲述青州地位的重要以及娄定远治理青州弘扬佛法的政绩，随后记载南阳寺的重要以及修复的规模，说明勒文的目的；最后附有铭文，称颂佛法无边。文章的作者无从考证，但不影响它是难得的佳作。
大齐碑历尽沧桑。据史料考证，北齐武平四年建此碑于青州南阳寺，南阳寺在唐代改名龙兴寺，以后此碑便一直在此后的龙兴寺矗立。但是在明朝初年，龙兴寺破败，大齐碑也历经磨难，遭到破坏。开始，明衡王宗室把它挪至城北弥陀寺，移动时断裂，用铁箍捆住。时间长了，风吹日晒，岌岌欲坠。乾隆年间，益都县令周嘉猷重修府城，又将它转移到文昌寺，可是没有及时树立，就横放在那里。散落的断石，由著名金石学家段松龄收藏。一直到李戴春做知府时，他拿出自己的俸金，安排人进行修补，重新扶立于文昌祠。建国后，1979年秋，此碑移入偶园，碑身断裂处用水泥粘补，立于院内，两旁用砖镶砌，顶用小瓦覆盖。
此碑用隶书写成，极具书法价值，为研究中国书法的演变提供了实物资料。历代有不少书法家对此进行研究，并有很高的评价。碑文中提及的人物临淮王，即北齐“八贵”之一的娄定远，为北齐武明皇后之母弟娄昭的次子。史书中记载的娄定远其人，远不是像碑文中描述的那样功勋卓著，清正廉洁，好佛善施，品操高尚。他因为得到当皇帝的表哥喜爱，才被封为临淮王，并被任命为顾命大臣，位居司空。他非常“贪鄙”，与朝廷权臣和士开狼狈为奸，秽乱朝纲。后来，罪行暴露，他畏罪自缢而死。
--------Introduction in English--------
Linhuai King's Statue Stele is called "the Statue Stele of Linhuai King in Qingzhou, the Emperor of Sikong". The tablet is 4.45 meters high and 1.6 meters wide. It was built at Nanyang Temple in Qingzhou during the Northern Qi Dynasty. It is also called the "Great Qi Stele" because of its huge regulation. The tablet is composed of two circled giant dragons and Buddha statues. In the middle of the tablet, Yangeng inscribes the 12-character seal script of "Emperor Sikong Qingzhou Prick History Linhuai King Statue Stele". The inscriptions are inscribed in Yin and Li scripts, totaling 29 lines and 58 lines. Now nearly a hundred words are missing. The inscription of "Longxing Temple" on the stele is written by Li Yong, Taishou of Beihai County in the Tang Dynasty. This monument is the largest monument in the Northern and Southern Dynasties of China. It has important cultural and artistic value and is designated as a national first-class cultural relic.
The content of the inscription is to record and praise the merits of the rebuilding of Nanyang Temple in Qingzhou, Northern Qi Dynasty. The full text reflects the style of parallel prose since the Han Dynasty, elaborates and exaggerates, Wang Yang Wang Wang Wang Wang Wang Wang Wang Wang wang, the rhetoric is extremely gorgeous. At the beginning of the article, I lament the vicissitudes of the sea and the vicissitudes of the earth, the changes of the world are unpredictable, only Buddha's compassion is the only way to make all living beings universal; then I eulogize Lou Dingyuan's merits and moral character, and then describe the importance of the status of Qingzhou and Lou Dingyuan's achievements in administering Qingzhou and carrying forward Buddhist law, then record the importance of Nanyang Temple and the scale of restoration, and explain the purpose of Lewen; finally, I attach an inscription to praise it. Buddhism is boundless. The author of the article has no way to verify it, but it does not affect it is a rare masterpiece.
The Great Qi Monument has gone through many vicissitudes. According to historical data, Wuping in the Northern Qi Dynasty built the monument in Nanyang Temple in Qingzhou in four years, and Nanyang Temple was renamed Longxing Temple in the Tang Dynasty. Since then, the monument has been erected in Longxing Temple. But in the early Ming Dynasty, the Longxing Temple was destroyed and the Great Qi Monument was damaged after suffering. At first, the imperial clan of Mingheng moved it to Mituo Temple in the north of the city. When it moved, it broke and was tied with iron hoops. For a long time, the wind is blowing and the sun is shining. During the reign of Qianlong, Zhou Jiayou, commander of Yidu County, rebuilt the mansion city and transferred it to Wenchang Temple. However, it was not established in time, so it was laid there horizontally. The scattered broken stones are collected by Duan Songling, a famous epigrapher. Until Li Dai-chun became the Zhifu, he took out his salary, arranged for repairs, and rebuilt himself in Wenchang Temple. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, in the autumn of 1979, the monument moved into our garden. The broken part of the monument body was filled with cement. It was erected in the courtyard with bricks on both sides and covered with small tiles on the top.
The tablet is written in official script, which is of great value in calligraphy and provides material materials for the study of the evolution of Chinese calligraphy. There are many calligraphers in the past dynasties who have studied it and have a high appraisal. The character Linhuai King mentioned in the inscription, Lou Dingyuan, one of the eight nobles in the Northern Qi Dynasty, is the second son of Lou Zhao, the mother and brother of Empress Wuming of the Northern Qi Dynasty. Lou Dingyuan, as recorded in historical books, is far from being as distinguished in merit, honesty, good Buddha, good charity and noble character as described in the inscriptions on tablets. Because he was loved by the cousin of the emperor, he was named Linhuai King, and was appointed Minister Gu Ming, who was in the rank of Sikong. He was very "greedy" and was in collusion with court officials and scholar-officials, and fouled the outline of the dynasty. Later, when the crime was exposed, he feared the crime and hanged himself.
