Swallow Stone

Swallow Stone

　　A large quantity of ecological Swallow Stones has been discovered deep in the mountains around Yanzi Field in Lalei Mountain, over 20 kilometers northwest of Lianghe County.

Local farmers refer to it as Lianghe Ecological Swallow Stone. It is understood that Swallow Stone is a type of ancient metamorphic slate, formed under high temperature and pressure due to the activity of intrusive rocks and intense orogenic movements. It consists of trilobite fossils from ancient organisms and features highly vivid "flying swallow" shapes. The stones are named for their swallow-tail-like ends. They have a fine texture, a translucent quality like jade, produce a coppery sound when struck, and feel as smooth as congealed fat. The stone is easy to work with, dark bluish-black in color—also known as “dai stone,” and commonly called “ink stone” among locals. With well-developed bedding planes and conchoidal fracture surfaces along layers, the stone is hard, compact, and highly resistant to breakage. It is not prone to weathering or moss growth, making it suitable for block extraction, polishing, and detailed carving. As a result, it holds considerable ornamental and collectible value.

The renowned contemporary painter and calligrapher Mr. Fan Zeng once wrote a poem about Swallow Stone: “Fossils grand, a hundred million years deep; / Swallows swarm where ancient traces sleep. / A thunderous split, a boundless blaze; / Forging the timeless soul of primal days.” This reflects its cultural significance. In recent years, local farmers have invested some labor into mining, crafting semi-finished products by hand. Aside from local sales, small quantities have begun to be exported to regions such as Taiwan and Myanmar. Visitors and researchers who come to see the stones often select them as materials, using the flying swallow motif to create exquisitely carved artworks that are highly favored by tourists. However, due to factors such as inconvenient transportation, large-scale mining and utilization have yet to be achieved, and investment and development are urgently needed.