Haicheng Ximu Stone Shelter

Haicheng Ximu Stone Shelter

The Haicheng Ximu Stone Shelter is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The stone shelter is located on the southern mountain of Gusaoshi Village in Ximu Town, about 17 kilometers southeast of Haicheng. It is composed of six smoothly polished granite slabs. One slab serves as the floor, three as standing walls, one as the roof, and a smaller slab functions as the southern door. The roof slab is the largest, measuring approximately 6 meters in length, 5 meters in width, 0.5 meters in thickness, and about 2.7 meters in height. Its architectural shape resembles a small house, hence the name "stone shelter." There are two shelters, one on the mountain called "Sao Shi" (Sister-in-law Stone) and one at the foot of the mountain called "Gu Shi" (Auntie Stone), together known as "Gusaoshi" (Auntie and Sister-in-law Stones). Legend has it that in ancient times, a family lived here with an auntie and her niece. The auntie was kind and hardworking, taking on all the household chores, while the niece was lazy and often abused the auntie. Over time, unable to endure the niece’s insults and mistreatment, the auntie ran up the mountain and turned into the upper stone shelter. Full of remorse, the niece turned into the lower stone shelter at the foot of the mountain.

The stone shelter is grand and magnificent in scale, and is referred to as part of megalithic culture. Some of the wall and roof stones weigh dozens of tons. The quarrying, transporting, and assembling of these stones reflect the sweat and wisdom of ancient laborers. It is one of the earlier forms of architecture in ancient China and holds significant value for studying the development of ancient Chinese architecture and the conditions of primitive society. In September 1963, the Liaoning Provincial People's Government designated the Haicheng Stone Shelter as a Provincial Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit. In 2001, it was announced by the State Council as a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Gusaoshi Village: Gusaoshi Village... Detailed information about Gusaoshi Village++

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units