Ruzhou's cultural legacy: pottery, porcelain, rubbings from stone inscriptions, and a horse made of ru stone. Provided to China Daily

Ruzhou, with 1,400 years of history, has a great cultural heritage.

Pottery

One priceless piece of art in Chinese History Museum - a pot decorated with a stork holding a fish in its mouth - was discovered in an archeological dig, in the city.

This early pottery painting, believed to have come from the New Stone Age, is the largest piece of its kind in China and represents the achievements of art from that period.

Porcelain

Ruzhou's porcelain has been valued by collectors since early times. During the Song Dynasty (960-1279), when ceramics-making reached its highest point, Ruzhou's porcelain was one of China's five most famous types.

Today, the traditional porcelain firing skills are on the national cultural heritage list.

Stone inscriptions

Ruzhou is also known for rubbings from early stone inscriptions.

Over 800 years ago, one local official, Wang Caicong, selected 109 examples of ancient calligraphy and had them carved in stone.

The stone inscriptions represent a variety of Chinese art forms and are treasured by calligraphy lovers.

Ru stone

Another uniquely local item is ru stone, a type of lava that has been likened to jade.

The special stone also contain various microelements that are beneficial to health.

Scenic sites

These include the Fengxue Temple and local hot springs, which attracted emperors and empresses from different dynasties, as well as the renowned poets Su Dongpo and Ouyang Xiu.

About nine kilometers northeast of Fengxue Temple is the magic slopes, more than 2,000 meters long, where a rider can ascend without pedaling.

One not-to-miss site is the geopark with its moraine and clearly revealed strata.

The city's rich tourism resources are expected to attract more tourists from around the globe, so it wants to develop its tourism and promote its image, local officials say.

Fengxue Temple, originally built during the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25-220), has a variety of classical architecture styles added during subsequent dynasties. Gui Yanwei / China Daily

(China Daily 09/02/2011 page14)