Also known as the Khitan Retreat Stele, the Huiluan Stele stands on the west side of Imperial Well Street in downtown Puyang, Henan Province. Carved from bluestone, it is 2.6 meters high and 1.3 meters wide. The inscriptions are a poem titled The Retreat of the Khitans composed by Emperor Zhenzong of the Song Dynasty, and legend has it that the calligraphy was done by Kou Zhun. The characters are as large as a palm, featuring powerful, elegant and fluent strokes.

To the south of the stele lies an ancient well with clear and sweet water. It is said to have been dug during Emperor Zhenzong’s stay here, hence the name Imperial Well. These two relics are the only surviving witnesses to the Song-Liao War and the Chanyuan Alliance.

In 1004, Emperor Shengzong Yelü Longxu of the Liao Dynasty, together with his mother Empress Dowager Xiao, led an army of 200,000 troops to invade the Northern Song Dynasty and advanced to Chanzhou. Urged by Prime Minister Kou Zhun and other advocates of war, Emperor Zhenzong personally led the army to the frontline and defeated the Liao troops in Chanzhou. The two sides then reached a peace agreement known as the Chanyuan Alliance.

Before returning to the capital, Emperor Zhenzong wrote a poem to commemorate the victory over the Liao forces. The poem was transcribed by Kou Zhun and carved onto a stone tablet inside the city — the present-day Huiluan Stele.

The Imperial Well is believed to have been used by Emperor Zhenzong. Recorded in ancient local chronicles, it was listed as one of the Eight Scenic Views of Puyang. Today, it is protected as a Provincial-level Cultural Relic