#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <algorithm>
#include <vector>
#include <set>
#include <cmath>
#include <iomanip>
#include <stack>
#include <queue>
#include <deque>
#include <bitset>
#include <tuple>
#include <map>
#include <functional>
#include <fstream>
#include <climits>
#include <numeric>
//#include <atcoder/all>

#define fi first
#define se second
#define rep(i,n) for(ll i=0;i<(n);i++)
#define rrep(i,n) for(ll i=(n)-1;i>=0;i--)
#define orep(i,n) for(ll i=1;i<=(n);i++)

#define nfor(i,s,n) for(ll i=(s);i<(n);i++)
#define dfor(i,s,n) for(ll i=(s)-1;i>=n;i--)
#define INF 2e18//9223372036854775807

#define all(a)  a.begin(),a.end()
#define rall(a) a.rbegin(),a.rend()

#define chmax(x,y) x = max(x,y)
#define chmin(x,y) x = min(x,y)

#define pb push_back
#define pob pop_back

#define vc vector

#define YES cout << "Yes" << endl;
#define NO cout << "No" << endl;
#define YN {cout << "Yes" << endl;}else{cout << "No" << endl;}
#define dame cout << -1 << endl;

#define vc_unique(v) v.erase(unique(v.begin(), v.end()), v.end())
#define vc_remove(v,x) v.erase(remove(v.begin(), v.end(),x), v.end())
#define vc_rotate(v) rotate(v.begin(), v.begin()+1, v.end())

#define pop_cnt(s) ll(popcount(uint64_t(s)))
#define next_p(v) next_permutation(v.begin(),v.end())

#ifndef ONLINE_JUDGE
#define _GLIBCXX_DEBUG
#endif

using namespace std;
//using namespace atcoder;
using ll = long long;
using ld = long double;
using pll = pair<ll,ll>;
using vvvvvl = vector<vector<vector<vector<vector<ll> > > > >;
using vvvvl = vector<vector<vector<vector<ll> > > >;
using vvvl = vector<vector<vector<ll> > >;
using vvl = vector<vector<ll> >;
using vl = vector<ll>;
using vb = vector<bool>;
using vvb = vector<vector<bool> >;
using Graph = vector<vector<ll> >;

template<class T> using pq = priority_queue<T,vc<T>,less<T> >;
template<class T> using pq_g = priority_queue<T,vc<T>,greater<T> >;

ll dx[4] = {0,1,0,-1};ll ddx[8] = {1,1,0,-1,-1,-1,0,1};
ll dy[4] = {1,0,-1,0};ll ddy[8] = {0,1,1,1,0,-1,-1,-1};

bool out_grid(ll i, ll j, ll h, ll w){//trueならcontinueする
    return(!(0 <= i && i < h && 0 <= j && j<w));
}

ll MOD = 998244353;

ll modpow(ll x,ll y,ll m){
    ll a = x;
    a %= m;
    ll cnt = 0;
    ll ans = 1;
    while(y > 0){
        if((1ll << cnt) & y){
            y ^= (1ll << cnt);
            ans *= a;
            ans %= m;
        }
        a = a*a;
        a %= m;
        cnt++;
    }
    return ans;
}

ll npow(ll x,ll y){
    ll a = x;
    ll cnt = 0;
    ll ans = 1;
    while(y > 0){
        if((1ll << cnt) & y){
            y ^= (1ll << cnt);
            ans *= a;
        }
        a = a*a;
        cnt++;
    }
    return ans;
}

void print(ld x){printf("%.20Lf\n", x);}

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
int main(){
    ll N;
    cin >> N;
    vc<vc<char>> G(N,vc<char>(N));
    rep(i,N)rep(j,N)cin >> G[i][j];

    map<pair<pll,string>,ll> m;

    function<void(ll,ll,string)> dfs1 = [&](ll x,ll y, string s) {
        if(x + y == N-1){
            m[{{x,y},s}]++;
            m[{{x,y},s}] %= MOD;
            return;
        }
        rep(l,2){
            ll nx = x + dx[l];
            ll ny = y + dy[l];

            if(out_grid(nx,ny,N,N))continue;

            dfs1(nx,ny,s + G[nx][ny]);
        }
    };

    ll ans = 0;

    function<void(ll,ll,string)> dfs2 = [&](ll x,ll y, string s) {
        if(x + y == N-1){
            ans += m[{{x,y},s}];
            ans %= MOD;
            return;
        }
        nfor(l,2,4){
            ll nx = x + dx[l];
            ll ny = y + dy[l];

            if(out_grid(nx,ny,N,N))continue;

            dfs2(nx,ny,s + G[nx][ny]);
        }
    };

    dfs1(0,0,to_string(G[0][0]));

    dfs2(N-1,N-1,to_string(G[N-1][N-1]));

    cout << ans << endl;


}