Ye Meisan

01 · Lineage & Regional School

Ye Meisan, Male, Han, from Leizhou, Guangdong, is a sixth-batch national representative bearer of Stone Carving (Ⅶ-56). The tradition is documented in Leizhou, Guangdong. Within the regional tradition and school record of Stone Carving in Leizhou, Guangdong: Leizhou stone dogs spread from Leizhou City as their centre to Suixi, Xuwen, Lianjiang, Mazhang in Zhanjiang and Beihai and Qinzhou in Guangxi, forming a stone-dog cultural circle across the sea and across provincial boundaries around the Beibu Gulf. The stone is taken from local basalt; the postures of the carvings include crouching, sitting and standing, and their size ranges from several dozen centimetres to over a metre. Leizhou stone dogs originate from the dog-worshipping Panhu custom of the ancient Luoyue people. Leizhou anciently belonged to the land of the Luoyue. The "Panhu Man" tribe of the Luoyue people claimed descent from dogs and long had a custom of revering and worshipping dogs; the stone dogs carved from basalt are the concrete and material form of this belief. Later, combined with the idea of guarding the dwelling and warding off evil, which spread in from the Central Plains, they gradually evolved into guardian deities of households and villages.

02 · Mastery & Signature Works

The bearer record for Ye Meisan is anchored in the documented technical standards of Stone Carving in Leizhou, Guangdong. Within the documented technical tradition of Stone Carving in Leizhou, Guangdong: Stone carving, also known as "stone engraving" (shike), is a traditional manual carving art that uses stone as its raw material. China's stone-carving art has a long history and has been passed down in an unbroken line over thousands of years to the present day, displaying the consummate technique, ingenious conception and abundant creativity of traditional folk craftsmanship. Stone carving is generally carried out on natural stone materials such as marble, granite, bluestone and sandstone, and in the process the carver must employ a series of practised folk carving techniques, including round carving (yuandiao), relief carving (fudiao), openwork carving (toudiao) and line engraving (xianke). Because these stone materials are taken from nature and can be preserved for a long time, stone carving is mostly used to make large-scale sculptures and decorative sculptures. According to their use, stone-carving products fall mainly into three categories: first, architectural components and ornaments, such as pedestals, memorial archways and stone lions; second, images of deities and Buddhas, such as the statues in the Yungang Grottoes of Shanxi and the Longmen Grottoes of Henan; and third, everyday articles that are both decorative and practical, such as table ornaments and inkstones. Traditional stone carving uses tools such as axes, hammers and chisels; in modern times more advanced implements such as glycerine gunpowder and simple machinery began to be adopted. With the development of society, stone-carving craftsmanship has steadily improved, and related products circulate widely on the market as distinctive goods, possessing an artistic charm all their own. Leizhou stone dogs are a folk carving art popular on the Leizhou Peninsula. Leizhou anciently belonged to the land of the Luoyue; the "Panhu Man" tribe of the Luoyue people once lived in congregation here, claiming descent from dogs and long having a custom of revering and worshipping dogs. The stone dogs carved from basalt are the concrete and material expression of this folk belief and custom, and they are honoured by the local people as "guardian deities" and "mascots". In daily life, in accordance with traditional custom, the people of Leizhou set up stone dogs at doorways, village entrances, road junctions and water outlets, in front of temples and in front of tombs, worshipping them with offerings at New Year and other festivals and at weddings and funerals. These stone dogs embody people's fine wish to pray for blessings and welcome good fortune, and they even carry the sacred significance of "adopting a stone dog as one's father". The "stone-dog culture", formed by Leizhou stone-dog carving and its associated customs, is a product of the blending of Han and Yue cultures, and with Leizhou City as its centre it has formed a "stone-dog cultural circle" in the region around the Beibu Gulf. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Basalt stone dogs": Carved from local volcanic basalt, Leizhou stone dogs are revered as guardian spirits and auspicious emblems in crouching, seated and standing poses. "Stone dogs at gates, village entrances, crossroads, water mouths, temples and graves": Following custom, people set up stone dogs at doorways, village entrances, crossroads, water mouths, temple fronts and graves, making offerings on festivals and life-cycle occasions. "Adopting a stone dog as a godparent": Children were traditionally “adopted” by a stone dog as a spiritual parent, giving the carving a sacred as well as auspicious meaning. "The stone-dog cultural sphere around the Beibu Gulf": Stone-dog carving and its associated customs, a fusion of Han and Yue culture, formed a cultural sphere centred on Leizhou around the Beibu Gulf.

03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status

In 2025, Ye Meisan was announced in the sixth batch of national representative bearers for Stone Carving, with Leizhou, Guangdong as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of Stone Carving in Leizhou, Guangdong: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2008 (batch 2), with Leizhou, Guangdong as its declared area, and Leizhou Leizhou Minsu Research Society as its safeguarding unit. Since the project was inscribed in the national inventory, its declared area and safeguarding unit have carried out documentation, transmission and presentation within the national safeguarding framework. Together, the inventory record and the project archive form the public documentary basis for the bearer’s transmission practice.

04 · Associated Heritage Item Dossier

05 · Fellow National Bearers Lineage

National representative bearers recorded under the same item code, ordered from the first to the sixth batch. Batch order is not a teacher–student relationship.

06 · Archival Sources & Bibliography

1. Yemeisan (Leizhou, Guangdong) · China ICH Official Project Archive
2. Yemeisan · China ICH Official Archive