#nullable enable

#region
var (_input, _iter) = (Array.Empty<string>(), 0);
T I<T>() where T : IParsable<T>
{
    while (_iter >= _input.Length) (_input, _iter) = (Console.ReadLine()!.Trim().Split(' '), 0);
    return T.Parse(_input[_iter++], null);
}
#endregion

static T[] Range<T>(int n, Func<T> F) => Enumerable.Range(0, n).Select(_ => F()).ToArray();

const int Mod = 998244353;
var n = I<int>();
var g = Range(n, I<string>);

var f = new long[n, n, n];
var visited = new bool[n, n, n];
f[0, 0, n - 1] = g[0][0] == g[n - 1][n - 1] ? 1 : 0;
var q = new Queue<(int, int, int)>();
q.Enqueue((0, 0, n - 1));
var ans = 0L;
var ma = new[]{ (0, 1), (1, 0) };
var mb = new[]{ (-1, 0), (0, -1) };
while (q.Count > 0)
{
    var key = q.Dequeue();
    var (rs, sai, sbi) = key;
    var v = f[rs, sai, sbi];
    var (ai, aj) = (sai, rs - sai);
    var (bi, bj) = (sbi, n * 2 - 2 - rs - sbi);
    if (rs == n - 1)
    {
        if ((ai, aj) == (bi, bj)) ans = (ans + v) % Mod;
        continue;
    }
    foreach (var (dai, daj) in ma) foreach (var (dbi, dbj) in mb)
    {
        var nai = ai + dai;
        var naj = aj + daj;
        var nbi = bi + dbi;
        var nbj = bj + dbj;
        if (Math.Max(nai, naj) == n || Math.Min(nbi, nbj) == -1) continue;
        if (g[nai][naj] != g[nbi][nbj]) continue;
        f[rs + 1, nai, nbi] += v;
        f[rs + 1, nai, nbi] %= Mod;
        if (!visited[rs + 1, nai, nbi])
        {
            visited[rs + 1, nai, nbi] = true;
            q.Enqueue((rs + 1, nai, nbi));
        }
    }
}
Console.WriteLine(ans);