Quyang County lies at the eastern foot of the Taihang Mountains in the western part of the North China Plains. It is rich in marble.

The history of Quyang-carving dates back more than 2,000 years. In theHan Dynasty(206 BC-220 AD), Quyang was praised as the "Hometown of Carving." Some works carved in theNorthern Wei Dynasty(386-534), such as stone tigers,stone lionsand figures of Buddha, are elegant and rotund. Quyang became the cradle and center of the white marble carving trade in North China.

Carvings from theYuan Dynasty(1271-1368) are graceful in appearance and delicate in workmanship. Yang Qiong, Wang Dao and Wang Hao were outstanding sculptors at that time.

Stone carving in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties have clear lines and vivid images. Some works carved at the end of theQing Dynasty, such as the "Celestial Crane" and "Main Branch Plums" won second place at the Panama International Artistic Exposition.

Since the foundation of thePeople's Republic of China, the ancientcarving arthas been revived. The artists have incorporated embossment, enchasing and altorelievo with modern anatomy, clairvoyance and aesthetics in carving, creating elegant and vivid works that are at once both new and natural, with profound artistic conceptions.

Quyang Carvings generally use white marble, granite, andjadeand depict scenes and figures of Buddha statues, fountains, animals and folk stories.

Source: chinaculture.org