The stone figure is still well preserved.
Harbin News Network (reported by Mingyu Cong) - A year ago, a villager in Acheng unexpectedly discovered a stone human figure while quarrying on the mountain and brought it back to his home using a sled for preservation. Recently, after expert appraisal and confirmation, this stone figure was identified as a Jin Dynasty artifact, with a history of over 1000 years. Due to strong public awareness of cultural relics protection, the stone figure has been well-preserved, which holds significant importance for the study of Jin Dynasty's folk culture and history.
Yesterday, I saw this stone figure at the Confucian Temple in Acheng. The stone figure stands 1.94 meters tall (including the base), has a head length (with crown) of 0.45 meters, shoulder width of 0.6 meters, and weighs 1000 kilograms. Staff members said that when they transported the stone figure back, they used a 3-ton crane. This stone figure is made of granite, holding a tablet in both hands, dressed as a civil official, and the pleats on the long robe are clearly visible. The facial features of the stone figure have bold lines, clear and vivid, fully demonstrating the superb skills of the craftsmen at that time.
According to reports, the person who discovered the stone figure was a villager surnamed Liu from Shangleimu Village in Dalingshan Township, Acheng District. In the spring of 2009, he accidentally found the stone figure while quarrying on the West Mountain, 400 meters west of the village. Liu sought help from others and used a sled to bring the stone figure back to his courtyard for storage. Later, after hearing about this event, many people came to purchase the stone figure, with offers reaching up to 8000 yuan. After being informed by the village cadres, he was patiently persuaded and educated. In early December last year, Liu handed over the stone figure to the state.
Experts told reporters that after careful investigation, it was determined that the location where the stone figure was unearthed is near the modern tomb site of Shangleimu. It should be a burial item. Since no written records about this tomb have been found so far, it is impossible to determine the exact location of the tomb and the identity of the tomb owner. However, the carving techniques of the stone figure have obvious Jin Dynasty characteristics, and the carved stone figure is dressed as a Song Dynasty official, leading to the inference that the tomb owner should be a noble of the Jin Dynasty.
During the interview, I learned that according to Song Dynasty regulations, only tombs of officials of the third rank or higher were allowed to have stone figures. The Jin Dynasty continued this system. The discovery of this stone figure can prove that the tomb owner had a prominent status, and also indicates the cultural integration between the Song and Jin Dynasties at that time. Experts believe that such a stone figure that has been excavated from underground and yet remains so well-preserved is extremely rare in Heilongjiang Province. It provides detailed references for studying the funeral customs, ceremonial systems, and early Jin Dynasty history.
Photographed by Rui Yang, reporter of our newspaper.