Southern Song Dynasty Stone Carvings in Dai Village

Southern Song Dynasty Stone Carvings in Dai Village

The Southern Song Dynasty stone carvings in Dai Village are located in Mingkou Town, Leping City, 49 kilometers from the city center. They sit on the Mawu Mountain site in Dai Village, about 2 kilometers to the south of the village. To the east, fertile fields stretch out in splendor, closely adjacent to the area, while the site is embraced on three sides by rolling mountains, presenting a majestic sight. In front of the hills lies a sweet spring that offers cool, refreshing water year-round. It is reported that the stone carving complex on Mawu Mountain dates back nearly 1,000 years and was chosen as a burial site by a wealthy outsider. The ruins of the tomb still remain today, and the various stone carvings were erected specifically for the tomb.

The images in the Southern Song Dynasty stone carving group include stone turtles, portrait sculptures, a stone stele with two dragons contending for a pearl, lions, horses, sheep, dogs, chickens, ducks, and geese. Among them, one stone turtle remains completely intact, and there is also a well-preserved human figure sculpture. The turtle is 1.86 meters long, 0.90 meters wide, and 0.70 meters high, weighing approximately 1,500 kilograms; the human figure sculpture resembles a judge and stands 2.6 meters tall. These stone carvings are exquisitely crafted, with particularly clear textures and subtle, lifelike imagery.

In 1999, the site attracted multiple archaeological investigations by experts, and many journalists came to conduct on-site interviews, capturing a series of photos showcasing the various forms of the stone carvings, which were later published in the Leping newspaper. On May 30, 1999, the Jingdezhen Daily also featured a report promoting the rare and archaeologically significant stone carving group at Mawu Mountain.