Yuhua Stones. [Photo/163.com]

Yu Hua Shi/Yuhua Stone

Yu Hua Shi, or Yuhua stone is a special kind of stone found only in Nanjing, China, due to the unique geology of the area. Yuhua stones are known for their bright colors and smooth surface due to being polished by the flow of the Yangtze River.

It is said that in the Liang Dynasty (502-557), a monk named Yun Guang gave a sermon on a hill near the city gate. Even the rocks nodded in approval during his speech and flower petals fell like rain. Since then, people found many pebbles with beautiful patterns and colors and called them Yuhua stone, meaning stones embedded with beautiful colors of flowers and lines like rain drops.