THE TOUR / The Stone Carving and Structure of Leong San Tong
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At both sides of the grand staircase, i.e. the walls of the basement of the main hall, there are two big round, well ventilated windows. The centre of the round window on the left features the motifs symbolizing prosperity and longevity, while the one on the right depicts the stories of reward for filial piety.
The most exquisite stone carvings of Leong San Tong are found at the verandah of the upper floor of the main hall. The four octagonal columns in front are very attractive. Each of them is made of a single piece of green stone, on which is carved a powerful dragon coiling downwards while looking upwards to the sky. There are also secondary motifs of immortals and other auspicious animals.  The swirling dragon on the monolithic stone column is a masterpiece of sculptural work. The column also features other sculptural motifs, including figures, flowers, birds and marine life. |
) Two big round stone windows on the wall of the basement. The centre of the one on the left features the motif of longevity and prosperity - (CLICK TO ENLARGE) ) The centre of the round window on the right tells the stories of reward for filial piety (CLICK TO ENLARGE) | |
 A pair of green stone lions at the entrance of the Cheng Soon Keong, with the male sitting on the right playing with two coins while the female of the left playing with her cub (looking outward from the central hall) |
There is a pair of green stone carvings at the bottom of both door-posts of the three halls on the upper floor of Leong San Tong. The stone carvings in the central hall are stone lions while the two side halls have stone drums. They are joined to the shafts of the door-posts and help to hold the door in. In appearance, they also serve as a directional guide, leading the visitors into the halls. The stone lions in front of the Cheng Soon Keong accentuate its status as the central hall. The gate-keeping lions also represent the respectful reception of its honourable guests. On the other hand, the stone drums in front of the side halls have a helix decoration on the flanks, figures and auspicious patterns at the bases.
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The whole surface of the front walls of the main hall, from the top to the bottom, is formed by a hundred spectacular panels of stone carvings. According to their heights, these wall panels can be divided into five categories, namely the top panels, the body panels, the waist panels, the skirting panels and the foot panels.
The body panels are the essential parts of the stone relief on the walls. Of these panels, the ventilated window panels are the most excellent. The windows are in three shapes; round, octagonal, and square. In accordance with the hierarchical order of the Southern Fujian architecture, the round window panels are found at both sides of the main entrance to the central hall, followed by the octagonal and the square window panels towards both ends of the front walls. | ||
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