What were the developments of stone carving and wood carving in Chaoshan in Ming and Qing Dynasties?

During the Ming and Qing dynasties, Chaozhou's economy and humanities developed forward, and a large number of temples and temples were built. The styles of stone carving and wood carving tend to be finely carved, reaching its peak in the late Qing Dynasty.

During the Hongzhi period in the early Ming Dynasty, there were exquisite stone carvings that paid equal attention to expression and meticulous carving. For example, the reliefs of figures in the old county town of Raoping and the Town God Temple of Sanrao are all carved with high reliefs. The characters look lifelike, elegantly dressed and with smooth wrinkles. The whole composition is full, structured and mature.

A pair of granite stone lions in front of Wenguang Pagoda in Chaoyang were originally stone carvings of Wenci in Ming Dynasty, one female and one male, 2.44m high and1.18m long. The lion has a ball in his mouth, and the lioness is holding a little lion on her feet. They have magnificent shapes, carved birds and beasts on all sides, clear lines and vivid images. They are treasures of stone carving art.

Tianhou Temple in South Australia, built in 1576, has two panlong columns, both of which are carved in high relief. Its craft is close to the hollowed-out high relief since the Qing Dynasty, and it is an early work of multi-layer carving of Chaoshan stone carving.

Carved stone carvings gradually appeared in the middle and late Qing Dynasty. The "upside-down flower basket" of Kangcuo Temple in South Australia during Jiaqing period of Qing Dynasty was a pioneering work of Chaoshan stone carving.

The stone carving in the late Qing Dynasty, which represents the highest level of stone carving, was carved by Chen Xunian, an overseas Chinese businessman in Jinsha Township, Caitang Town, Chaoan County, from Xigong Temple and Meizu Temple in Shenyang Village, Gurao Town, Chaoyang County. Xigong Temple was built in 14 at a cost of 260,000 silver dollars.

Among them, the most prominent stone carving art is the concave-bellied gatehouse, with two stone carvings, "Stone on the top" and "Yuqiao Farming Capital", which are exquisite and breathtaking.

In the picture of Shi Nong Shang, the cowboys' taut cow rope is 10 cm in length and only 4 mm in diameter, and it is hollowed out and carved with clear rope patterns. The fisherman's fishing net in the picture of "Fishing and reading" has tight mesh and natural folds. Other flower-and-bird screens, such as flower branches, insect tentacles and stone pillars, are all difficult skills.

The stone flower baskets carved on all sides of Meizu Temple have straight lines and smooth edges and corners, and Zhu-Xian Shi with different shapes has been surpassed by later generations.

Chaoshan Shuangfeng Qilin Stone Carving