A fine Taihu stone should be slender, wrinkled, perforated and see-through; the stranger its shape, the more it is worth.
Tips
culture
Lake Tai's waves and slightly acidic water wear its limestone into hollow, twisted shapes. Collectors have prized these stones since the Song dynasty, and the most famous single one, 冠云峰, still stands in Suzhou's 留园 (Lingering Garden).
