#include<bits/stdc++.h>
#include<atcoder/modint>
using namespace std;

int main(){
  using mint=atcoder::modint998244353;
  vector<int> dy={1,0},dx={0,1};
  int n;
  cin>>n;
  vector<string> c(n);
  for (int i=0;i<n;i++) cin>>c[i];
  map<tuple<int,int,int,int>,mint> mp;
  for (int i=0;i<n;i++) mp[{n-i-1,i,n-i-1,i}]=1;
  for (int d=n-1;d>=0;d--){
    for (int k1=0;k1<=d;k1++) for (int k2=0;k2<=d;k2++){
      int j1=k1,i1=d-j1;
      int j2=n-1-k2,i2=2*(n-1)-d-j2;
      if (d==n-1&&j1!=j2) continue;
      mint val=mp[{i1,j1,i2,j2}];
      if (val==0) continue;
      for (int d1=0;d1<2;d1++) for (int d2=0;d2<2;d2++){
        int ni1=i1-dy[d1],nj1=j1-dx[d1];
        int ni2=i2+dy[d2],nj2=j2+dx[d2];
        if (!(0<=ni1&&ni1<n&&0<=nj1&&nj1<n)) continue;
        if (!(0<=ni2&&ni2<n&&0<=nj2&&nj2<n)) continue;
        if (c[ni1][nj1]==c[ni2][nj2]){
          mp[{ni1,nj1,ni2,nj2}]+=val;
        }
      }
    }
  }
  cout<<mp[{0,0,n-1,n-1}].val()<<endl;
}