Stone Carving
01 · Historical Records
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 · Core Techniques & Process
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.
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 · Regional Records & Related Items
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.
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04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Leizhou stone-dog carving contains rich historical and cultural information and can to some degree be regarded as a distillation of the history and folk customs of Leizhou; it has research value in many fields, including cultural anthropology, ethnology, sociology and history.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Qian Gaochao 03-1272
- Gongbaocaidan 03-1273
- Wang Guoqing 05-2657
- Cao Mingzhu 05-2658
- Tang Jun 05-2659
- Shi Yongen 05-2660
- Yang Jianming 05-2661
- Bao Wuwen 05-2662
- Yuan Jiaqi
- Liu Nengfeng
- Wang Shilin
- Ye Meisan
- Yin Guoan
- Hu Yang
- Liangbinggong
- Caidanjia
- Chen Jiwu
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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