Jinjiang Stone Bamboo Shoot

Jinjiang Stone Bamboo Shoot

The Jinjiang Stone Bamboo Shoot is a cultural heritage site protected by Fujian Province.

In the ancient city of Quanzhou lies a unique historical relic—the world-renowned Stone Bamboo Shoot. This peculiar stone formation is located atop Turtle Mountain in Huangjia Street, Fuqiao, on the northern bank of the Jinjiang River, outside the Xinmen Gate of downtown Quanzhou;

The Stone Bamboo Shoot was formed by stacking and carving five cylindrical granite blocks. The lower part is thicker, while the upper part is thinner, with the tip ending in a slightly pointed cone. Its shape resembles a towering giant bamboo shoot, hence the common name “Stone Bamboo Shoot.” To its south flows the lower reaches of the Jinjiang River, where the surging waters curve around the bamboo shoot before rushing into the sea. Because of this stone formation, this stretch of the river is also nicknamed “Bamboo Shoot River.” The Linzhang Bridge in Fuqiao, located southwest of the stone bamboo shoot and originally built in 1049 during the Northern Song Dynasty (the first year of the Huangyou era), is also known as the “Stone Bamboo Shoot Bridge” due to its proximity.

The Stone Bamboo Shoot is made entirely of white granite, simply processed to retain an ancient and primitive natural state. According to the *Quanzhou Prefecture Records*, in 1011 during the Northern Song Dynasty (the fourth year of the Dazhong Xiangfu era), Gao Huilian, the prefect of Quanzhou, once “smashed the Stone Bamboo Shoot out of personal spite.” This indicates that the stone formation already existed in the Northern Song period. After being damaged by Gao Huilian, the Stone Bamboo Shoot was not restored until the Chenghua era of the Ming Dynasty (1465–1487). It is now listed as a provincial-level cultural heritage protection site.

According to research and analysis by scholars and experts, this peculiar stone bamboo shoot is likely a remnant of totem worship by primitive tribes, or possibly related to the phallic worship of Brahmanism or Hinduism—sharing the same origin as the phallic carvings on the two verdite stone pillars in the corridor behind the Mahavira Hall of Kaiyuan Temple. If this theory holds, then the stone bamboo shoot was probably carved when Hinduism was introduced to the region during the Tang Dynasty. If it was originally a totem object of the ancient Baiyue people who once lived in southern Quanzhou, then the carving may date back even earlier.

Fujian, Quanzhou