Beijing's Famous Stones
Beihai was first excavated on the basis of the "White Dragon Pool" built on the ancient Yongding River in the capital. It was part of the inner garden of the imperial palace at that time.
After the Jin Dynasty destroyed the Liao Dynasty, from the third to the nineteenth year of Dading in the Jin Dynasty (1163-1179), the "Taining Palace" was built on the basis of the old palace of the Liao Dynasty. In order to build the imperial garden, a large number of single-peak stones and rockery piles of rocks were dismantled and transported from Genyue Garden in Bianliang, Henan (now Kaifeng, Henan) to the capital for use on Qionghua Island in the North Sea. The Genyue stones and demolished grain stones that remain in Beihai Park today were dismantled and transported from Genyue Garden.
After the founding of the capital in the Yuan Dynasty, Qionghua Island was expanded three times and renamed Qionghua Island "Long Live Mountain".
After the Ming Dynasty moved the capital from Nanjing back to Beijing, it designated the North Sea as the Imperial Garden and expanded the waters of the North Sea from north to south, forming a three-sea connection of the North Sea, the Central Sea, and the South China Sea, which continues to this day.
During the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, the park was expanded again, and the entire park layout has been basically finalized. In 1860, after the "Three Mountains and Five Gardens" in the Xishan area of ??Beijing were burned down by the British and French forces, the Empress Dowager Cixi once used Beihai as a place for rest and sightseeing. In 1900, the Eight-Power Allied Forces invaded Beijing and plundered the property in Beihai Park. They also looted thousands of Buddha statues in the Ten Thousand Buddhas Tower located in the southwest corner of Beihai, and set fire to the Ten Thousand Buddhas Tower. The only ones left today are the four single-peak stones at the four corners of a pond south of Wanfo Tower and the two Taihu stones on the east and west sides of the center of the pond.
In 1925, Beihai Park was opened to the public as a park. The lake area in the park is about 39 hectares, and the land area is about 29 hectares. In 1961, Beihai Park was listed as the first batch of key protected units in the country. It was closed again from February 1971 to February 1978, and reopened in March 1978.
According to historical records, there are ten famous stones in Beihai Park: Genyue Stone, Kunlun Stone, Yunqi Stone, Qiyin Stone, Zhelian Stone, Yifang Stone, Qingyu Stone, Yunyan Stone, and Guanyin Stone. Stones and rockery rocks and caves. Due to objective reasons, only four of them are collected in this book - Genyue Stone, Kunlun Stone, Yunqi Stone and Qiyin Stone. In addition, the book also contains 13 other single-peak stones (including Iron Shadow Stone). Among the 17 Dufeng stones, 9 are Taihu stones and 6 are Lingbi stones. A single peak stone in the Tuancheng courtyard may belong to the travertine type.
Beijing’s Famous Stones
Beihai-1a, b, c, d
This stone is placed in the garden south of Kuai Xue Hall on the north bank of Beihai. Gray limestone, commonly known as: Taihu stone, "Yunqishi"
Beihai-1a
Beihai-1b
The stone is 3.95 meters high and 3.00 meters wide , 1.30 meters thick. The base is lined with small pieces of Taihu stone. This stone and several Taihu stone peaks form a "shadow wall". This stone peak is located at the west end of the "shadow wall". The upper part of the stone body is wider and the lower part is narrower. The front is uneven, and the small stone body is shaped like clouds. There are many small holes of different sizes on the surface. The east side of this stone body is blocked by adjacent stone peaks. The back of the stone is not flat but smooth, with gaps and small holes. The base is lined with small pieces of Taihu stone. The surface of the stone is engraved with "Yunqi" inscribed by Qianlong. It is said that the origin of this name is: when Qianlong was looking south at Kuai Xuetang, this stone screen was composed of many stone bodies with different concave and convex shapes on the surface, like the wind and clouds surging, so he named it "Yun Qi". On the back of the stone body is engraved a poem by Qianlong: "Move the stone to move the roots of the clouds, plant the stone to see the clouds rise; the stone is the master of the clouds, and the clouds are accompanied by the stone. When the clouds are out of the body, the clouds are busy, and the clouds are idle; the clouds are idle; Taking Wuxin as the clutch, Shi uses Wuxin as the cashier. The clutch is involved, because he understands Jia Dao's poems and is not as good as Wang Wei's poems."
Beihai-1c
Beihai-1d
Beihai-2a, b This stone is placed on the west side of "Yunqifeng" in the garden south of Kuaixue Hall. It is gray limestone and is commonly known as: Taihu Stone. Named "囧 Stone"
The stone is 3.40 meters high, 1.40 meters wide and 1.20 meters thick. The shape of the stone body is wide at the top and narrow at the bottom. There are three holes in the upper part, two smaller ones, located above a large hole, shaped like a pair of eyes and a mouth. Between the three holes is a long protruding rock shaped like the bridge of a nose. The combination of the two makes a face with the character "囧".
The front of the stone body is smooth except for three holes. The back is blocked by another adjacent Taihu stone, and only part of the side can be seen. This stone's unique shape resembles the word "囧", so it was named "囧 Stone".
Beihai-2a
Beihai-2b
Beihai-3a,b This stone is placed between Di'ao Pavilion and Langjia Grottoes in Liangyong'an Temple, Qiongdao, Beihai. Between, gray limestone, commonly known as: Taihu stone, also known as: Genyue, Yueyun and Yuyun
The stone is 1.85 meters high, 2.14 meters wide and 1.05 meters thick. Viewed from the front, the stone body looks like a turtle floating on the sea. There are four longitudinal ravines of different lengths on the surface of the stone body; on the back and neck there is a stone with the same lithology as the stone body, which is embedded between the stone bodies and forms a whole. The space between the stone body and the base is filled with gravel. The base is a solid rectangular marble, 0.65 meters high, 2.28 meters long and 2.10 meters wide, with wavy patterns carved around it. This stone was originally collected from the Taihu area of ??Jiangsu when Genyue Garden was built in Bianliang, Henan in the seventh year of Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty (1117). Later, when the Jin Dynasty built Daning Palace in Beihai, it was moved from Genyue Garden in Bianliang to Beijing. This stone is one of the oldest Taihu stones in Beijing.
Beihai-3a
Beihai-3b
Beihai-4 This stone is placed next to the steps on the south side of a pavilion outside the west wall of Yong'an Temple in Qiongdao , gray limestone, commonly known as: Taihu Stone
The stone is 2.70 meters high, 1.50 meters wide and 1.00 meters thick. This stone has the characteristics of Taihu stone, which is thin, leaky and transparent. It not only has a special shape, but also has many holes and recesses on the surface of the stone. The back of the stone body is relatively flat with a few holes. The base is anchored to other stones. According to the location of this stone and the lithology and morphological characteristics of the stone, it may be related to the "Genyue" stone.
Beijing's Famous Stones
Beihai-5 This stone is placed on the slope outside the west wall of Yong'an Temple in Qiongdao. It is gray limestone and is commonly known as Taihu Stone
The stone is 1.60 meters high, 1.40 meters wide and 0.75 meters thick. The characteristic of this stone is that the front is divided by three longitudinal ravines of different lengths, forming a "mountain" shape. The surface of the stone body is relatively flat, and there is a hole in the middle of the base. The base is placed directly on a platform composed of crushed Taihu stone.
Beijing's Famous Stones
Beihai-6 This stone is placed on the west side of the south gate of Yuexin Hall in Qiongdao. It is light gray limestone and is commonly known as: Lingbi Stone, " "Seven Sound Stone"
The stone is 1.10 meters high, 0.95 meters wide and 0.50 meters thick. Observed from a distance, the overall shape of this stone is good, with ravines and hollows. Close observation reveals that this stone is composed of upper, middle and lower sections bonded together. The calcite veins on the surface of the stone body are relatively clear. The base is rectangular, 0.96 meters high, 1.38 meters long, and 0.60 meters wide. According to relevant personnel, this stone was smashed during the "Cultural Revolution" and was later spliced ??into its current state.
Beijing’s Famous Stones
Beihai-7 This stone is placed on the east side of the south gate of Yuexin Hall in Qiongdao. It is light gray limestone and is commonly known as: Lingbi Stone
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The stone is 1.23 meters high, 0.95 meters wide and 0.60 meters thick. The front of the stone body is controlled by oblique joints, and the surface unevenness varies greatly, including blocks and flakes. Is the stone in its original state, or has it been artificially formed? The back of the stone body is relatively gentle with several oblique joints. The base is rectangular and made of marble. It is 0.96 meters high, 1.38 meters long and 0.60 meters wide. It has the same shape and size as the Beihai-6 base.
Beijing’s Famous Stones
Beihai-8 This stone is placed on the east coast of Beihai on the west side of Haopu Room. It is an earthy yellow siliceous marl
The stone is 1.80 meters high, 1.30 meters wide and 0.80 meters thick. The shape of the stone body is an irregular rhombus, with longitudinal ravines of varying widths on one side, with holes and small longitudinal ravines in between. The other side has fewer ravines but more holes and hollows. This stone is relatively soft and its base is lined with gravel and soil.
Beijing’s Famous Stones
Beihai-9 This stone is placed outside the west gate of the Beihai Park Management Office Building. It is made of earthy yellow siliceous mudstone
The stone height is 1.90 meters, 0.95 meters wide and 0.80 meters thick. The surface of the stone body has a good shape, with pits and fissures distributed in a cross distribution; the back side is obviously uneven, with mainly pits and holes, and the periphery is slope-shaped.
The base is lined with gravel of the same lithology and consolidated with cement.
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The stone is 2.05 meters high, 1.92 meters wide and 0.51 meters thick. The stone is rectangular in shape as a whole. The front of the stone is uneven and has many disorderly ravines. These ravines have obvious traces of artificial carving and widening. The shape and distribution of the ravines on the back are similar to those on the front of the stone. The base is rectangular, 1.03 meters high, 1.45 meters long and 0.87 meters wide. The decorations on the four walls of the base are common.
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The stone is 1.84 meters high, 0.80 meters wide and 0.42 meters thick. The middle part of the stone body is concave on one side and convex on the other side, making the whole body slightly bowed. There are irregular ravines on the surface, and obvious traces of artificial carving and widening can be seen from the edges of the walls. There seems to be some damage on the back, and there are traces of artificial carving and widening of the ravines on the surface. The shape and structure of this stone base are the same as the Beihai-10 base, except that it is 15 centimeters shorter at 1.35 meters.
Beijing’s Famous Stones
Beihai-12 This stone is placed in the southwest corner of the pool in front of the Wanfo Tower site in Beihai Park. It is gray-brown limestone and is commonly known as: Lingbi Stone.
Stone height: 1.02 meters, width 0.87 meters, thickness 0.60 meters. The shape of the stone body is similar to a cone, with the narrowest at the top and the widest near the bottom. The surface has only irregular textures and no ravines or caves. The back side of the stone body basically remains in its original state, with traces of artificially carved ravines left in some areas. The shape, size and structure of the base are exactly the same as those of Beihai-13.
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The stone is 2.04 meters high, 0.95 meters wide and 0.45 meters thick. The stone body is approximately in the shape of a wide column, with a wide rounded top, the widest middle part, and a slight shrinkage near the bottom. There are many transverse ravines on the front of the stone body, and the inner walls of the gullies have obvious signs of enlargement by manual carving. The base is rectangular, 1.03 meters high, 1.45 meters long and 0.80 meters wide. Its appearance and size are the same as those of the adjacent Beihai-12. The base has cracks and is cemented.
The stone body is about 2 meters high and 1.40 meters wide (visual inspection). The stone body is oval in shape, and the lower half on the north side seems to be cracked. There are caves of different sizes on the surface, and there are also cracks at the base of the south side of the stone body. There are holes of different sizes (mainly small) on the entire surface. The base is a platform made of Taihu stone.
Beihai-14a
Beihai-14b
Beihai-15a, b This stone is placed in the eastern part of the pool in front of the Wanfo Tower site in Beihai Park. It is gray. Rock, commonly known as: Taihu Rock
The stone is about 1.60 meters high and 1.30 meters wide (visual inspection). The base is lined with Taihu stone. The top of the stone body is narrow and gradually expands near the bottom. The surface is smooth with only a few holes. There is a transverse crack and several small cavities in the lower middle part of the back, and the stone body is relatively dense. The base is a platform made of Taihu stone.
Beihai-15a
Beihai-15b
Beihai-16a, b This stone is placed on the west side of the Nine Dragon Wall in Beihai Park. It is a light brown volcanic rock. It is commonly known as: Iron Shadow Stone
The stone body is 1.10 meters high, 3.32 meters long, 0.50 meters thick, and the top cover is 0.50 meters high. This stone is a relic of the Yuan Dynasty, with an animal resembling a dragon's head engraved on its surface. One side of the stone body is a male beast, and the other side is a female beast (there is a cub each at the head and tail of the dragon). In the early Ming Dynasty, it was placed in Desheng Nunnery (now known as Tiebi Hutong) of Huguo Deshengmen. The base is about 0.40 meters high, 3.56 meters long and 0.55 meters wide. In 1947, the wall moved to Beihai Park.
In 1986, the base of this stone wall was discovered in Tiebi Hutong and moved to Beihai Park. The two were merged into one.
Beihai-16a
Beihai-16b
Beihai-17a,b This stone is placed on the north side of the garden in Tuancheng, Beihai Park. The quality of the stone is unknown
The stone is 1.18 meters high, 1.10 meters wide and 0.50 meters thick. The base is oval, 0.45 meters high, 1.12 meters long and 0.77 meters wide.
Beihai-17a
Beihai-17b