The Nestorian Stele (also known as the Nestorian Stone; Nestorian Monument or Nestorian Tablet) is a Tang Chinese stele erected in 781 that documents 150 years of history of early Christianity in China. It is a 279-cm tall limestone block with text in both Chinese and Syriac; describing the existence of Christian communities in several cities in northern China. It reveals that the church had initially received recognition by the Tang Emperor Taizong; due to efforts of the Christian missionary Alopen in 635. Buried in 845; probably during religious suppression; the stele was not rediscovered until 1625.