0058 - North China Traditional Stone Carving. Stone carving in Quyang Count...Back

North China Traditional Stone Carving. Stone carving in Quyang County, Hebei province, to the southwest of Beijing, has a tradition of 2000 years. The monument to the People's Heroes erected after liberation in Tiananmen Square and some other famous buildings in the Chinese capital all stand in testimony to the high artistic level of the stone sculptors of Quyang. Quyang stone carving dates back to the Han Dynasty (260 B.C.-A.D. 220), and was well known in the county by the time of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), and the county has been called "Home of stone Sculptures." The artisans of Quyang use white marble, opal, red-mottled stone, and other kinds of stone to carve lifelike human figures. Birds, animals, fruits and other things. In addition to the individual professional stone carvers among the peasants, the county now has three workshops that turn out stone sculptures. Their variety has been increased to 1,000. some of the Quyang stone carvings are exported to other countries.