One of the most visually stunning legacies of this form are the bold character inscriptions which are carved into mountainsides or on the surfaces of large boulders.
大碑可高數丈，小則尺餘；從形式來分，也有碑（長方形或橢圓形）、碣（短而圓），以及將死者一生大事刻在碑上的墓誌銘等數種。「石碑的文字除說明意義外，更表現出一股莊重的權威，使人為之肅穆。」