Quyang is located in the western part of the North China Plain, at the foot of the eastern Taihang Mountains, with steep mountains to the northwest and an expansive view to the southeast. Despite the modest elevation of the surrounding mountains, each has its own ancient name and legends.

According to the “Annals of Quyang County”, “Mount Huang has been producing white stones since ancient times, which can be used for various monuments, hence the numerous stone craftsmen in the surrounding villages.” Since the Western Han Dynasty, stone craftsmen in Quyang have been carving steles and various objects from marble, initially for tombstones, and later also for recording events and leaving messages, mainly displayed in temples. During the Han Dynasty, Quyang was praised by Emperor Wu of Han as the “hometown of carving”. During the Wei, Jin, Northern and Southern Dynasties, the Buddhist statues and stone lions carved in Quyang were widely used in temple and mausoleum construction, as well as royal grotto statues. During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, Quyang became the largest Han white jade carving center in northern China. During the Yuan Dynasty, the architectural decoration of Quyang stone carvings reached its peak, with famous projects such as the Yungang Grottoes, Longmen Grottoes, Yuanmingyuan, and Summer Palace embodying the artistic wisdom of Quyang craftsmen. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, Quyang stone carvings were ubiquitous in the palaces, pavilions, archways, temples, and bridges of the capital, and their remnants survive to this day. Today, contemporary buildings such as the Monument to the People’s Heroes and the Mausoleum of Chairman Mao, represent the imprint of Quyang craftsmen.

Through repeated filming of the current status of Quyang stone carvings, the author presents a magical world based on real existence. The purpose of photographing these images in the book is evidently not simply to document literature but to reveal the diversity and integration of values and culture in contemporary China and the world. On the other hand, these photos also aim to provide a transcendent aesthetic experience beyond the ordinary, which is also a new exploration and challenge to previous Chinese landscape photography.