While this Julong Bi stone (Nine Dragon River) stone was probably not one that Xu Xiake saw when he visited Fujian province 500 years ago, and wrote about them in his travel diaries, he does remind us of the role that interesting stones played in the lives of the poets, painters, writers, and calligraphers in Imperial China. This stone resembles the face of a cliff with a possible entry way into a cave. It measures 23 cm (9inches) wide, 12 cm (4.7 inches) high and 16 cm (6/3 inches) deep.

Even though Jiulong Bi stones have been admired in China since the Tang dynasty more than 1,000 years ago, they are not well known in stone appreciation communities in western countries. They have all the attributes of a good viewing stone—very hard, wrinkles surface texture, muted colors, and typically found in forms that are like landscapes or figures.