Certainly! Here is an article about the Chinese stone from Mount Emei that was found in Switzerland.
A 2.6-Billion-Year-Old "Traveler": The Story of Mount Emei's Stone in Switzerland
An Unexpected Encounter: Sichuan in the Heart of Switzerland
In October 2025, a Chinese tourist visiting Switzerland's Mount Rigi (Rigi Kulm) stumbled upon an astonishing sight—a massive stone engraved with three familiar Chinese characters: "峨眉山" (Mount Emei). The surprised tourist joked online that they must have been hallucinating from exhaustion or perhaps their cream of mushroom soup had been made with "Yunnan mushrooms," known for their sometimes-psychedelic properties .
This unexpected discovery, shared via social media video, quickly captured public imagination, amassing tens of thousands of likes and comments. The viral moment sparked widespread curiosity and a single, pressing question: How did an 8-ton piece of Mount Emei end up over 8,000 kilometers away in Switzerland?
Official Confirmation: A Decade-Long Connection
The mystery was swiftly solved by the Mount Emei Scenic Area Administration, which confirmed the stone's authenticity and its remarkable backstory. This was not a random occurrence but a carefully orchestrated cultural exchange a decade in the making .
The stone's journey was part of a formal "sister mountains" partnership established in 2009 between Mount Emei in China's Sichuan province and Mount Rigi in Switzerland . This relationship was cemented through a unique "rock exchange" initiative designed to strengthen cultural and tourism ties between the two nations .
The following timeline illustrates the key milestones of this symbolic exchange:
The Stone Itself: A Geological Marvel
This is no ordinary rock. The piece that made the transcontinental journey is a significant geological specimen with impressive characteristics :
Rock Type: "Mount Emei Basalt" – the most representative basalt from the mountain
Age: Formed approximately 260 million years ago during a massive volcanic eruption
Dimensions: 2.6 meters high, 1.5 meters at its widest and thickest points
Weight: A substantial 8.05 metric tons
Source: Quarried from the Mount Emei river channel at an altitude of 840 meters
The selection of a 2.6-meter-high stone carried special symbolic meaning. Mount Rigi's surveyed altitude is 1,797.5 meters; with the addition of this stone, the peak symbolically breaks the 1,800-meter barrier, representing a gesture of friendship and goodwill from its Chinese sister .
More Than a Rock: Symbolism and Lasting Friendship
Today, visitors to both mountains can experience this unique international friendship. In Switzerland, the "Mount Emei" stone stands proudly at the summit of Mount Rigi, accompanied by an informational plaque explaining its origins and significance in both Chinese and English .
Meanwhile, in China, a 2.6-ton conglomerate rock from Mount Rigi has been installed at the Golden Summit of Mount Emei (elevation 3,077 meters), allowing Chinese visitors to connect with their mountain's Swiss counterpart . This symmetrical exchange has created a permanent, tangible link between the two cultures and landscapes.
The stone exchange between Mount Emei and Mount Rigi represents a creative and enduring form of cultural diplomacy. In an age of digital ephemerality, these multi-ton stone sentinels stand as permanent testaments to international friendship, demonstrating how natural heritage can be shared to build bridges across continents and cultures. They remind us that even the most permanent features of our landscapes can become ambassadors, connecting distant parts of our world in surprising and meaningful ways .
For any traveler fortunate enough to visit both sites, these stones offer a unique moment of recognition—a reminder that across vast distances, unexpected connections await discovery, and that a piece of Sichuan's geological history now has a permanent home in the heart of Switzerland.
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