Taihu Rock

Chinese scholars’ rocks, known as rare stones (gongshi) or fantastic stones (guaishi), have been much sought after throughout history. Among many varieties, Taihu rocks were farmed from Lake Tai in Jiangsu province. The perforated surfaces of the stones were formed by drilling the limestone and then immersing the rocks in the lake, where they were exposed to the erosive actions of water, waves, and sand, sometimes for hundreds of years. When the rocks were harvested, the perforations often appeared to be natural, and Taihu rocks have been likened to miniature cosmic mountains with heavenly grottoes and fantastic peaks. Collected and treasured since early times, these rocks are sometimes large and are often placed in gardens, such as those in the city of Suzhou.