Powerful traditions of stone sculpting live on

A stone sculpture created by Chen Lizhong depicts lotuses in autumn. [Photo provided to China Daily]

For Chen Lizhong, an inheritor of Shoushan stone carving, sculptors record an era with their chisels－just like writers with their pens.

Inheritors are especially appointed, leading artists, officially conferred with the responsibility of carrying forward the country's intangible cultural heritage.

The 49-year-old has hewn and shaped his stones for more than 30 years. His only materials come from Shoushan Mountain in his hometown, Fuzhou, in eastern Fujian province.

"The stones on the mountain have diverse colors and textures－some are transparent and some are solid dark, which give much space for creation," he said.

Shoushan stones are limited. That's what makes this art so special, he added.

Chen was enrolled in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage inheritors in 2006. Among the 15 Shoushan stone carving masters in China, Chen is in the top four, together with his teacher, aged in his 80s.

Chen said stone carving is a kind of inheritance of memory, or a recording of history.

One of his works, a large dark piece, was made in shape of a mine. It contains more than 200 small stone workers engaged in various tasks. Some push carts, some dig the soil and some deliver food to the working miners.

"The inspiration came from my talks with several old people," he said.