Water Village Footprints: Cable Boat Stone

Author: Li Haimin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-12-01
Features: This book focuses on cave-style cable boat stones, which are mostly rich in artistic value and primarily composed of auspicious symbols, the "Eight Hidden Immortals" (), animals, plants, musical instruments, and various combinations of objects, with over 50 types.
Auspicious Symbols: Ruyi (Auspicious Object), Dingsheng (Victory), Biding (Writing Brush with Bowl), Biding (Writing Brush with Bowl), Jin Yuanbao (Golden Treasure), Ancient Coins, Rhinoceros Horn, Double Swords, Double Pearls, Eight Knots, Four Knots, Jue (Ancient Vessel), and handles used in daily life, etc.;
The "Eight Hidden Immortals": Sword, Fish Drum, Gourd, Fan, Dòngxiáo (Chinese Flute), Flower Basket, Lotus, and Plate;
Insect and Animal Types: Double Silkworms, Standing Crane, Bat, Twin Deer, Carp, Crab, Butterfly, Monster, and Elephant Trunk, etc.;
Floral and Plant Types: Banana, Chrysanthemum, Pomegranate, Twin Tangerines, Twin Peaches, Lingzhi (Ginseng), Jiahe (Auspicious Plant), Lotus Pod, Evergreen, and Cockade Flower, etc.;
Combinations of Multiple Objects: Twin Lotus Root, Vase with Three Arrows, Ruyi with Deer, Vase with Monkey, Gourd with Bat, Dingsheng with Bat, and Lion Rolling a Ball, etc.
As time evolved, musical instruments appeared on cable boat stones, mainly including the Pipa, Yueqin (Moon Guitar), Sanxian (Three-Stringed Zither), and Ruqin (Ruan), totaling about five or six stringed instruments.
During the early years of the Republic of China, the "Five-Color Flag," the "Five-Color Flag with the Blue Sky and White Sun Flag," and the "Torch" also appeared one by one on cable boat stones.
This book is an academic work, and I have strived to make it accessible and easy to understand for readers of moderate knowledge. I hope this book will contribute to the promotion and popularization of cable boat stones in the Jiangnan water towns.