Southern Song Dynasty Stone Carving Park

Southern Song Dynasty Stone Carving Park

Since the Song Dynasty, the Ningbo region has been home to prominent clans, whose influence was marked by grand banners flying high. These noble families built villas and temples around Dongqian Lake during their lifetimes, and sought burial sites and family shrines in the surrounding hills after death. Today, most of these temples and tombs have faded into obscurity, but the stone carvings—accessories to those structures—still scatter across the hills. Among the numerous stone carvings, the most common are tomb statuary. The most intact collection can be found at the tomb of Shi Jian, grandfather of Southern Song Prime Minister Shi Songzhi (who was posthumously honored as Grand Tutor and Duke of Qi), located at the foot of Huangmei Mountain, Xiazhuang Village, Shangshui. This site features full sets of civil and military officials, tiger and horse stone beasts, all standing facing each other from east to west, intricately carved and strikingly lifelike. The current Stone Carving Park is situated here and houses stone carvings and statues collected from other scattered locations and private collections.

Research confirms that the Dongqian Lake Stone Carving Cluster fills gaps in China’s historical records of sculpture, fine arts, and archaeology from the Southern Song Dynasty. It was designated as a National Cultural Heritage site in 2001. The current Southern Song Stone Carving Cluster was developed on the foundation of the “Dongqian Lake Stone Carving Cluster,” following the principle of “prioritizing preservation and rescue,” with an investment of over 30 million yuan.

Covering an area of 6.64 hectares, the Southern Song Dynasty Stone Carving Park is located at the border between Shangshui Village and Hengjie Village of Dongqian Lake, along the main traffic route leading to the Fuquan Mountain Scenic Area. Facing south and backed by mountains on three sides, it is considered an auspicious site according to traditional Chinese geomancy. The park currently features multiple attractions, including the Exhibition Hall, the Path of Reverence, the Teachers of a Hundred Generations, the Auspicious Path, Historical Changes, Southern Song Attire, the Tomb Path of Shi Jian, and the Integrity of the Countryside. It is a distinctive thematic park that emphasizes preservation while using exhibitions to move cultural relics beyond “protected isolation,” thereby expanding their intrinsic value. Its completion and opening have advanced the implementation of the “Culture-Lake” strategy.

Ticket Price: 30 RMB per person

Transportation: Bus Route 960 (city visitors may take Bus 906 to Guojia in Dongqian Lake)

Contact Numbers: 88401022, 88374366

Dongqian Lake Town: Nestled within the undulating, picturesque mountains southeast of Ningbo, Dongqian Lake Town enjoys a superior location and convenient transportation. Situated in the economically dynamic, densely populated, and well-connected Yangtze River Delta region, it serves as a central hub in the eastern Zhejiang tourism network. The town is just a 10-minute drive from downtown Ningbo and Yinzhou Airport, and only 10 minutes away from access to the Shanghai-Hangzhou-Ningbo Expressway and the Tongsan Expressway. With the completion of the Hangzhou Bay Cross-Sea Bridge in 2008, Ningbo entered a two-hour traffic circle centered around Shanghai. The town also hosts Dongqian Lake, praised by Mr. Guo Moruo as possessing “the charm of West Lake and the…” More information on Dongqian Lake Town ++