Any country that reveres rocks must be very cultured, and China does. While India pushes them up at the rate of 2 inches a year the Chinese are trying to use them at a similar rate for everything. Because they are composed of massive limestone beds in their various forms they make for interesting and beautiful building blocks in all shapes and sizes. Every stream is scoured for interesting rocks, the bigger the better, and they are taken and hand polished to be sculptured and put on display in towns and gardens. Mountains are attacked for marble, limestone and slate which are taken to town to be cut and hand hewn into slabs, pedestals, fences, square stones, round stones, any shape or size, as well as the final headstones for the family vault. Even the national parks show off their rocks.
Chang Shan Geological Park rises steeply behind Dali and runs north south, being pushed up by India. We visited this spectacular mountain range by chairlift from Dali and saw water issuing from solid rock into a beautiful clear pool, complete with goldfish, at the base of the waterfall. The hydro-geologist was told not to be so sceptical about the source of the water so we moved on to the geological explanations where only the truth lies. Around the path to the Dragons Pool, and another chairlift, via a flat path, with geological explanations of the various geological features. Rex is now an expert. The rugged terrain went into the clouds so we retreated to the chairlift down to Chinawood.
The rocks end up in huge shops where the really interesting ones are sliced into thin slabs and mounted. Seascapes, forests and cloud-like formations were the most obvious as well as the ubiquitous jars, vases, Buddha's and elaborate statues of dragons, horses and lotus flowers. My favourite was Bronte beach on a grey rainy day in winter.
I may be biased but I love reading about the rocks! I hope a little sample will make its way back to Annandale.
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