Scholar's rock

Found in Ying-te, Kwantung province, as well as Kwangsi province in south China, ying stone is softer than ling-pi and typically full of complex furrows with twisted lines and intricately textured surfaces. Notable for their diverse shapes, these stones appear to embody a thousand hills and valleys and are well suited for representing a scenic landscape. This type of scholar's rock is usually referred to as a close-up view mountain. Such stones were treasured for the impression they created of a miniature mountain range and they were treasured display objects in a scholar's studio.