Laizhou Marble Carvings

Laizhou Marble Carvings

　　【Laizhou Marble Carvings】About 40 li south of downtown Laizhou lies Huangshan Mountain, which is rich in snow-white marble. Historical records indicate that as early as the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, local artisans in the area behind Huangshan Mountain in Laizhou were already using snow-white marble to carve various stone artworks such as tombstones, lions, and horses, achieving a high level of artistic craftsmanship. Successive dynasties have left behind a rich legacy of carving art. By the late Qing Dynasty, there were over 100 notable tall memorial archways in the city, with layered towers and soaring eaves, adorned with exquisitely designed openwork reliefs. The carvings of figures, horse-drawn carriages, and birds and beasts were proportionally harmonious, with delicate knife work, smooth lines, and lifelike forms. Additionally, cliff carvings and grotto statues at Han Tong Mountain, as well as human and animal sculptures at Mao Ji’s Tomb, Taiji Hall, and the Temple of the Sea God, are also remarkably vivid, considered masterpieces of stone carving art.

　　After the liberation of China, the renowned veteran artisan Hai once led Laizhou stone carving artists to Beijing upon invitation to participate in the construction of several famous buildings.

　　After 1978, Laizhou developed more than ten stone carving factories and workshops, primarily through the Laizhou Carving Factory, taking on large-scale sculpture, mural, and courtyard decoration projects across the country. In 1985, the city’s carving factory hired 15 renowned sculpture experts as technical advisors and established the province’s first “Carving Service Center.” Works completed subsequently, such as the garden figure group sculpture at the Qilu Petrochemical Company Refinery, the abstract figure group sculpture "Drawing Water" at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the large-scale relief mural "Longshan Culture" at Jinan Shungeng Mountain Villa, the relief mural "Metallurgy" at Laiwu Steel Plant, "Li Shizhen" in Dong’e County, "Sea God" in Changdao County, and "Twin Deer," "Rhinoceros," "Gardener," and "Sea Breeze" in Qingdao gardens, all received praise from experts within and outside the province. "The Snail Girl," designed by Qiu Zhihai and carved by Tao Shoujie, is based on the mythological tale of the “Snail Maiden.” Depicting a snail maiden who steps gracefully out of a giant snail shell, one hand lifting her skirt and the other touching her chest, she slightly bows her head with a smile, radiating the joy and shyness of first encountering the human world, offering viewers boundless aesthetic pleasure.

　　Currently, Laizhou’s “Sculpture Service Center” has over 300 skilled workers and has added mechanical equipment such as point-line machines and polishing machines. The ancient art of Laizhou stone carving will continue to be further promoted and developed.