Page 22 - Tạp chí bonsai BCI Q12011

right: Southern and south-
western China have numerous
rivers which yield many types
of excellent water pool stones
such as this one.

far right: Virtually every major
display of stones in China
includes several turtle stones.
This large, turtle-shaped Lingbi
Stone on an intricately carved
base is a symbol for longevity.

middle: These two stones
when properly oriented and
displayed, especially with
some form of bamboo, quickly
remind us of two young panda This was followed by a ribbon cutting and fireworks. All produced by British artist Henry Moore. Many of these
bears.
this occurred at the beginning of a long, formal avenue pieces are large, reaching 2 meters (6.2 feet) or more. The
below: Three Rivers in leading to a spectacular new building, the Liuzhou Fan- hard, smooth surfaces of the stones are typically lustrous.
Sangjiang County in Guangxi tastic Stone Gallery. This spacious new stone museum is When available, excellent examples command six-figure
Province yield tumbled river four times larger (12,500 sq. meters) and more grandiose prices. The Chinese name of these stones have also been
stones with fascinating vivid than the older Begui Museum. Now I understood why the published as Moen Stones, possibly an error in translation
red color patterns such as this
stone. The stones range in size Begui was closed. The flowing lines of this modern build- to English.
from a few centimeters to over ing reminded me of the exciting new architectural styles The second level of this striking building displayed
a meter or across. in construction seen in Shanghai and Beijing. Although medium-sized and small stones. Space was allocated to
the building’s interior wasn’t completed, the organizing each province of China for people to bring their stones
committee still staged a display of several thousand stones for temporary display. Stone clubs and collectors brought
in this building. Officially, the construction will be com- some of their prized stones for display during the exhibi-
pleted in 2011. This new structure is the largest and most tion. The new Liuzhou Fantastic Stone Gallery is not just
comprehensive professional stone museum in China. a museum but a place for seasonal or temporary displays
The two-story high lobby and first level of the new stone of stones, and for various activities and meetings relating
gallery quickly filled with officials, dignitaries and attend- to stone appreciation. It will be a major center for people
ees while hundreds of others waited in line to enter and to learn about Chinese stone appreciation. Our schedule
view the display. Larger, outstanding stones were displayed didn’t permit us to get a close look at each of the stones be-
on the first level and the terms “fantastic,” “incredible”, and cause of a scheduled lunch with stone collectors, followed
“excellent” all applied. A special display of large, beautiful by a visit to Liuzhou Park where Mr. Liu Kai Jian, Vice
Moore Stones was featured in a prominent location on the Chairman of the Liuzhou Stone Association, gave us a
first floor. They are called by this name, rather than where personal tour of the excellent stone collection in this park.
they originated, because the stones recall the sculptures The 6th Liuzhou Fantastic International Stone Festival
was much more than just a magnificent exhibition of
stones with stone markets nearby. Organizing officials
convened a day-long Shangshi Culture Symposium for
approximately 60 to 70 scholars and other serious minded
individuals to present papers and discuss detailed aspects
of Chinese stone appreciation. Official lunches and din-
ners were scheduled for each of the first three days of the
festival. One luncheon was devoted to the release of Fa-
mous Collectors of Chinese Shangshi, a beautiful, new,
boxed set of six books each featuring one the best pri-
vate collections in southern China. This was a first-class
production with great design and layout, photographs,
binding and editing. Sometime before the festival but in
2010, Liuzhou officials published the third volume in a se-
ries titled Collection of Grand Classics of Famous Stones.
This high-quality book of 327 pages follows the second
volume that was nearly 300 pages long and published in
2008. Turn to these volumes to see examples of excellent
Chinese stones. The officials, editors and publishers in
Liuzhou are setting a new, higher standard for books re-
lating to stone appreciation.

20 | January/February/March 2011