Lu Yonghong: Breathing life into stones

The history of stone carving in Yunnan dates back hundreds of years. Living in Hexi Town, Tonghai County in southern part of the province, Lu Yonghong has passed down the ancient craft of stone carving for more than 20 years, and added vigor to this traditional art.

Lu is now 40 years old. Both his grandfather and father followed the same profession. This makes him the third generation successor of the family business. Lu is best at carving stone lions in the southern Yunnan style. Those productions include male and female lions that are true to life and charmingly cute.

Stone carving is a demanding job. “The ball in the male lion's mouth is the hardest to carve. It must move freely but can’t be able to fall out. When separating it from the main body, you even need to hold your breath and cut gently bit by bit. The slightest mistake can ruin all previous efforts," Lu Yonghong said.

When carving stone lions in the southern Yunnan style, Lu Yonghong constantly absorbs the essence of famous artists’ works to improve his own carving skills and develop his own style. With his masterly carving techniques, he has been designated a successor of the intangible cultural heritage of carving southern Yunnan stone lions. 

His stone-carving works “An Inspection Tour by King of the Dian Kingdom”, which is housed in the Kunming Municipal Museum. And his stone lions have been sold in other countries including Laos and Myanmar.

Editor: Wang Shixue