In western societies, this stone might be viewed as a natural arch. However, in Chinese society, one can easily view this as a gateway—either a symbolic gateway to immortality or a connection between the physical body and the spiritual world. These two themes are found in the composite Taoist religion in China. Early Chinese emperors and high-level bureaucrats eagerly sought a pathway to immortality, and for many decades ingested special elixirs comprised of a mixture of minerals as a means of achieving their goal. None of them achieved this goal, and as some of the ingredients were toxic, this practice was eventually abandoned as an element of Taoism.

This arch-shaped black Lingbi stone is from northern Anhui province in eastern China. It is 28 cm wide, 22 cm high, and 12 cm deep, and is owned by Thomas Elias and Hiromi Nakaoji. The low platform base is appropriate for this stone.