Special supplement: Libo: Emerald masterpieces

Stones in the 20,000-hectare mountainous territory of Libo not only gather moss, but also shoulder trees and even forests.

Trees and shrubs in Libo county literally grow on rocks. The little soil available comes from dead leaves. Roots and vines weave tightly around giant boulders in search of soil. They extend through cracks, sometimes reaching down a dozen meters. In a few places gigantic boulders are lifted 20 to 30 cm off the ground by webs of roots. In a desperate search for nutrient, some roots have cracked open hard rocks.

Guizhou province in southwest China is pure karst country - 73 percent of its terrain is covered with that type of sedimentary rock. Karst is shaped when limestone is slowly dissolved by slightly sulfuric water. In most karst areas it is extremely difficult for soil to accumulate - one centimeter may take up to 10,000 years to form. So what you see are bare rocks with little vegetation.