Feixian Strange Stones

Feixian Strange Stones

　　Feixian County has long been known as the “Hometown of Strange Stones.” Its four famous types of stones — garden stones, golden star stones, swallow stones, and sky scenery stones — are renowned both in China and abroad. Among them, garden stones, also called Northern Taihu stones, are a type of limestone formed 400 million years ago. Over millennia, they have been shaped by wind erosion and acidic soil into stunning works of nature. The main distribution area of garden stones is concentrated within a 30-square-kilometer radius around Chengbei Township, with estimated reserves of about 500,000 tons.

　　Feixian garden stones are mainly produced in over 10 square kilometers of land behind Zhongluo Mountain, north of Feixian County. These stones are exquisitely transparent and twisted, embodying the qualities of being “slender, perforated, translucent, and wrinkled.” Naturally crafted with miraculous artistry, they are truly one of a kind in the world. Some resemble birds and beasts, others stand like elegant jade trees, some look like extraterrestrial visitors, and some seem ready to soar into space. Their forms are incredibly diverse and fascinating, sparking boundless imagination in viewers. Each strange stone tells a story; each is a piece of writing.

　　The history of exploiting and utilizing Feixian garden stones dates back to the Ming Dynasty. At that time, a wealthy Wang family built a garden villa in Yuanshang, Zhutian Town, Feixian County, where three garden stones were erected, each with inscriptions on their bases that have been preserved to this day. In the 30th year of Emperor Qianlong’s reign during the Qing Dynasty, when the emperor traveled to the south and stayed at the Wansong Mountain Palace in Chengbei Township, he developed a great fondness for Feixian garden stones and even composed a poem in praise: “Each uniquely rugged and exquisite, vying in splendor; their varied heights and placements defy perfect arrangement. But with such dedication to the people’s welfare, I need not worry about lacking virtuous officials.”

　　Using Feixian garden stones to decorate gardens and courtyards results in an elegant and classic charm, comparable to the Taihu garden stones of the Jiangnan region. In the classic Chinese novel “Dream of the Red Chamber,” the Happy Red Court and the Bamboo Lodge in the Grand View Garden were adorned with Feixian garden stones. In 1986, Mr. Liu Chuanhu, an advisor on ethnic minority affairs to U.S. President Ronald Reagan, made a special trip to Feixian, selected four garden stones, and had them shipped back to the United States, where they were placed in locations such as Hawaii.

　　As sister cities in friendly exchange, Linyi City and Jinhae City of South Korea selected two Feixian garden stones as symbols of friendship during a visit led by key officials from the municipal People’s Congress and government in April 2001.

　　Recognized by experts, the stone forest resources of Feixian are the largest in area, quantity, and sculptural quality among buried-type stone forests in China. They are hailed as “the greatest natural wonder discovered in northern China at the turn of the century,” standing in striking contrast to the Stone Forest in Yunnan and regarded as a unique marvel of China. Tourism experts have already developed a specialized plan for the site, selecting Yuhuan Mountain in the Xujiaya Tourist Area of Feixian County. Following the style of a rugged-style garden, carefully chosen stones will be artistically arranged to create the “Yimeng Stone Forest Tourism” project. This will become a renowned tourist destination integrating stone forest sightseeing, folk culture, shopping, and leisure.

　　In recent years, with the continuous expansion of garden stone development, their fame has grown rapidly, attracting large numbers of domestic and international tourists. It is believed that in the near future, Feixian garden stones will, along with the pace of reform and opening up, make their way across the nation and around the world.