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Secondary sourceSculptureSong dynasty, c. 10th–12th century

Stone Statue of Laozi at Qingyuan Mountain

Song dynasty sculptors · Song dynasty, c. 10th–12th century

A monumental Song-dynasty stone statue of Laozi at Qingyuan Mountain in Quanzhou, the largest early surviving stone image of him and evidence of his popular worship.

This monumental statue commemorates Laozi and reflects his later veneration as a popular religious figure.

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A large seated stone statue of an elderly bearded man with a long beard and topknot, carved from dark rock, in a landscaped park with paved stone ground, a low wooden fence, shrubs, and misty trees behind it.
Stone statue of Laozi, Qingyuan Mountain, Quanzhou, Song dynasty.

About this source

What it is

This is a large rock-cut statue carved by Song-dynasty sculptors, located at Qingyuan Mountain in Quanzhou, China. It shows an elderly bearded man seated, carved from dark stone, and is now protected as a national cultural heritage site.

Why it matters

This statue represents Laozi as he was worshipped by ordinary people long after his lifetime. It is the largest early stone image of him, showing how a philosopher believed to have lived centuries earlier had become the focus of popular religious devotion and monumental public art.

Look closer

  • What details in the statue's size, pose, and setting suggest reverence or worship?
  • Why might a community invest great effort in carving a huge statue of a philosopher centuries after he lived?
  • How does a stone monument like this shape memory differently from a written text?

This sculpture is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Laozi on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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