Doucun stone carving skills are a traditional skills project in the first batch of representative projects of municipal intangible cultural heritage. Doucun stone carving skills began in the early Ming Dynasty. After the Ming Dynasty established its capital in Nanjing, Zhu Yuanzhang mobilized skilled stonemasons from all over the country to come to Beijing to build the capital and the mausoleum. Qilin Doucun in the eastern suburbs of Nanjing is close to Qinglong Mountain in the southeast, rich in bluestone, Baifan stone and other stones, and there is a Yunliang River connected to the Qinhuai River in the territory, which is convenient for obtaining materials and convenient transportation. It has become a gathering and settlement place for stonemasons to build the capital. The rich stone materials and skilled stonemasons provide high-quality raw materials and necessary processing technology for the development of stone carving, so that the stone carving technology has been passed down in the Doucun area and has been passed down to this day. The stone carving skills of Doucun are mainly reflected in the processing and carving of architectural stone components. In the early Ming Dynasty, the stonemasons of Doucun were mainly responsible for the stonework of the city wall, the Ming Palace, the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum and other projects. With the development of technology and the needs of life, practical stone products such as stone tables and stone chairs and stone products for display and appreciation such as stone books and stone chess have also appeared. The themes and functions of stone carvings are becoming increasingly diversified. In the long-term creation and production practice, the artists of Doucun have summed up their experience and continuously improved, so that the stone carving technology integrates mining, cutting, chiseling and masonry, forming a complete set of craft production processes including material selection, roughing, fine grinding and polishing. Its techniques are also flexible and varied, and the products have intaglio, relief, and openwork carving. The Ming and Qing Dynasties were the heyday of Doucun stone carving technology. The masterpieces of Doucun stonemasons can be seen inside and outside Nanjing. Doucun stonemasons have successively participated in the construction of royal construction projects such as city walls, Ming Dynasty official buildings, and Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum. According to the "Jiangning County Chronicles Stele Stone Carvings", during the Guangxu period, the Doucun Ancient Theater built by Doucun artists best represents the level of Doucun stone carving, and has now been listed as a municipal cultural relic protection site. During the Republic of China period, Doucun's stone carving craftsmanship was also well inherited and carried forward. According to the "Jiangning County Chronicles", the water beasts on Sanshan Bridge, Changgan Bridge, Zhonghe Bridge, Wugui Bridge, Zhenzhu Bridge, Qiweng Bridge, the dragon head on the new floating bridge, and the comic strips on the foundation of Baoyue Tower in Mochou Lake, such as "Wusong Fighting the Tiger" and "Lion Tower", were all made by Doucun craftsmen. It is particularly worth mentioning that in the early days of the founding of the People's Republic of China, five stone carving artists, including Cheng Tianquan, Wang Mintao, Zhang Changsong, Pan Anbao, and Pan Xiaoshun, were designated by the Nanjing Municipal Government to participate in the construction of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. In 2001, Doucun's stonemasons completed the restoration of Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum and made due contributions to the successful application of Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum for World Heritage. These have made Doucun stone carving, an ancient traditional craft, shine again. The modern deceased Doucun craftsman Luo Jinchun is also included in the "Jiangning County Chronicles and Historical Figures". In recent years, due to the emphasis on architecture and neglect of craftsmanship in the protection of traditional architectural heritage, coupled with the development of modern technology, stone processing has increasingly emphasized mechanized operations and neglected the traditional stonework. Stone carving is a difficult industry, and the number of practitioners is decreasing. The inheritance of stone carving craftsmanship is gradually declining and urgently needs protection. (No pictures yet, welcome to provide.) (No pictures yet, welcome to provide.)