The Yangtze River rare stones getting popular

The first is the primary market generally on both sides of rivers attended by the nearby farmers picking up stones by rivers, who will sell the suiseki to the suisekibusinessmen or collectors in low prices; The second is the intermediary market located in the middle or small towns nearby the producing areas of strange stones, where the rare stone businessmen will sell to the rare stone collectors; The third is the senior market including the exhibitions, located in the big cities with sufficient information, business chances and good sales channels, where the rare stone businessmen and auctions houses sell suseoks to the groups or individual consumers at home and abroad.

There is a morning scholar's rocks market in the Longquanqiao area, Luzhou, Sichuan Province beside the Yangtze River, opened at 5:00 in the mornings of weekends. The farmers picking up suisekis will take their rare stones to sell here with the prices of tens, hundreds and thousands yuan. The morning market closes by 7:00 or 8:00 and then these farmers will go back for field work. In this way, the farmers can give attention to both farming and suiseki deals. By the small morning markets, a lot of farmers have earned money enough to build up new houses, buy cars, sustain their children to go to school and leave poverty for prosperity. A lot of well-known suiseki were initially bought by dealers and collectors in the morning strange rocks market, and they become elegant when the prices get doubled for many times.

(Sources: CE.cn September 3, 2007, Article by Li Jiangtian)

Photo by Jiangnanyiye