Page 24 - BSAM 2015 Q4

Top; Speakers at the convention, from left to right: Dr. Qiu Zhili from Sun Yat-Sen University of Guangzhou; Mr. Dato Chua from Malaysia, interpreter; Dr. Tom Elias, BCI President 2012–2015, and Chairman of the Viewing Stone Association of North America; and Mr. Zhou
Guo Xin, Chairman of the Guangdong Viewing Stone Association.
Middle left; Mr. Kunio Kobayashi, President of Nippon Suiseki Association
Middle right; Dr. Michal Šebo from Slovakia
Bottom; A colorful stone the surface of which is polished.
also some stones from other places. e stones were lined up at both sides of corridor-like halls around the Amphitheater where the bonsai demonstrations were held. Some of the small or delicate stones were protected by glass boxes. ree outstanding viewing stones were given a BCI award that was presented to the winners at the closing ceremony on Monday, 21st September.
e themes of viewing stone lectures were on wax stones by Dr. Qui Zhili; onYing (or Yingde) stones by Zhou Guo Xin; onViewing stones in North America by Tom Elias; on Japanese Suiseki by Kunio Kobayashi and on Viewing stones/Suiseki in Europe by Dr. Michal Šebo.
In the convention directory, page 15 and 16, it was pointed out that Chinese viewing stone culture mainly focuses on the appreciation of natural stones. China has witnessed a long history of natural stone apprecia- tion with the earliest written record dating back 3000 years ago. Ying and wax stones are both traditional Chinese scholars’ rocks. ey are found in Guangdong and Guangxi province. eir earliest written records date back to Tang Dynasty (618 – 907). e lectures on viewing stones were translated from English into Chinese, respectively from Japanese into Chinese and English, as well as from Chinese into English.
e rst lecture was by Tom Elias, chairman of Viewing Stone Association of North America, on September 18, who authored three books and numer- ous articles on stones appreciation. Tom described the current situation in the USA and pointed out that stone appreciation has only a history of about 50 years in North America. ere are 12 clubs with about 350 to 500 stone collectors in this big country. ere doesn’t exist any stone market in the USA even if the interest in stones is growing. e criteria for stone evaluation are the overall impression, color, texture, material but also the harmony between wooden base and stone.
22 | BCI | January/February/March 2016
“ e In nity of Bonsai and Viewing Stones: a Cultural Voyage from Canton to the World” and “Southern Pearl Gathering the Arts of the World,” took place on September 17 to 21, 2015 in the city center at the Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall and Guangdong Science Hall both located only a stone’s throw away from each other. e Guangdong hotel was also situated only 5 minutes of walking distance from the venue.
Whereas the penjing exhibition was set up out- doors at the wide terrace in front of the Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall, the “Ornamental Stones” were exhib- ited at the nearby Guangdong Science Hall (museum) at the auditorium where lectures about stone apprecia- tion were held.
Mostly stones found in Guangdong province were shown at the exhibition such as wax stones, Ying stones, surface pattern stones, malachite but