How Does Wild Taisui Form?
How Does Wild Taisui Form?
Taisui is said to grow in deep underground rock environments within high-altitude karst mountains, often 1,000 to more than 2,000 meters below the surface. It may be found in rock layers, caves, or mountain cracks where there are few people, little pollution, pure surroundings, and high-quality mountain water. In this account, Taisui grows by absorbing mineral trace elements from stone. It is fibrous, resembles fatty flesh in appearance, and may be pink or white, hard or soft. Very large pieces may show obvious channels where they have absorbed and expelled stone material.
Its body is usually cooler than the surrounding environment, often about 5 to 10 degrees Celsius below normal temperature. It can absorb moisture from the air to replenish itself. It is described as a mixed microbial life form, and this kind of pure mountain environment is one of Qin Taisui’s favorite sources for collection.
The image above may be understood as follows: this Taisui was discovered during blasting in a mine more than 2,000 meters underground. Qin Taisui’s specimens grow inside this kind of stone and are said to feed on it. Taisui can enter stone even without visible cracks, slowly transforming stone into Taisui flesh. It may take thousands to tens of thousands of years to grow into a large mass. Such rarity is easy to understand: one object may take thousands of years to form, yet it can be preserved and passed down from generation to generation.
Taisui formed in this environment is traditionally described as resistant to hunger, thirst, freezing, sun exposure, and aging. Its vitality is considered extremely strong. Without human destruction, popular accounts say it can survive for an extraordinary length of time.
When Taisui collected by Qin Taisui Museum is soaked in water, the water is described as staying clean, clear, colorless, and odorless, with a slightly sweet taste and a softer mouthfeel than ordinary water. Higher-concentration water is said to leave less residue on the cup wall. Taisui grows extremely slowly, about 3 centimeters in thickness over a thousand years. Most pieces grow inside rock, away from sunlight. They are very sensitive to light and do not rely on oxygen or carbon dioxide in the usual way. Older, larger, fleshier pieces are more valuable, while thin pieces, fragments, offcuts, and hardened pieces have lower value. The current market price for pure wild Taisui is often said to range from 30,000 to 100,000 RMB per 500 grams, depending on quality.
High-quality Taisui releases no falling residue when soaked in water. It remains clean and complete, and can stay in water long-term without being taken out to breathe air. As long as it is kept away from light, it may remain unchanged in color for a very long time. If exposed to light for a long period, living Taisui may respond by changing color, turning green, yellow, black, or another shade. With careful dark storage, it may gradually return to its original color.
