Beauty set in stone

Chinese stone-carving artists believe that behind a stone's cold and tough surface is a living spirit. Visitors to the exhibition of exquisite Shoushan stone carvings at the Palace Museum will be inclined to agree.

The work Tyrant of Winter by master artist Lin Hengyun, shows several polar bears frolicking on the snow-covered ground. The fine and smooth texture of the white stone which is slightly transparent, looks like solidified butter. The stone's natural veins are used by the artist to highlight the body features of the bears.

Other must-see works on display include Wang Zuguang's Smiling Buddha, Pan Jingshi's White Tiger and Zhang Shouqiang's Yellow Chrysanthemum.

The stones come in a range of vivid colors - from green and russet, to amber and mauve. Sometimes, the same stone will have several different color tones. For example, the Tianhuang (yellow field) Stone comes in gorgeous hues of gold, orange, loquat, osmanthus and yolk.

These Shoushan stone carvings are a recent donation to the collection of the Palace Museum.

Comprising 120 exhibits, the latest show is divided into three parts: the first comprises 10 pieces from the imperial collection of the Palace Museum of the Ming (AD 1368-1644) and Qing (AD 1644-1911) dynasties; the second, the 12 contemporary masterpieces mentioned above, and the third, contributions from the Cultural Research Institute of Shoushan Stone across the Taiwan Strait, and China Shoushan Stone Carving Museum.

Shoushan stone, mined in Shoushan Mountain in Fuzhou, east China's Fujian province, has been a treasured stone since ancient times. Its fine texture, compactness and multi-hued color make it ideal for carving. In 2006, Shoushan stone carving was deemed a part of the nation's intangible cultural heritage.

8:30 am-5 pm, April 10

Hall for Abstinence (Zhai Gong) and Hall of Sincere Solemnity (Chengsu Dian) of the Palace Museum, 4 Jingshan Qianjie, Dongcheng district, 8511-7575, 故宫博物院, 东城区景山前街4号