Yunnan man’s ‘pork belly’ rock discovery could fetch millions of baht

The ancient hobby of collecting precious gems in China has evolved into a modern treasure hunt, where anyone with a good fortune can find items of value and potentially become overnight millionaires.

This was the case for an elderly man from Yunnan province who, while gathering firewood and hunting in the mountains, stumbled upon an unusual rock. Distinctly different from the surrounding stones, it bore a striking resemblance to a giant piece of “three-layer pork” hidden in the grass.

Initially, he thought it was a discarded pig carcass and dared not touch it, but upon closer inspection, he discovered it was not a pig’s body.

Intrigued by the rock’s unusual appearance, which had the same colour and shape as a piece of three-layer pork, he decided to bring it home. However, due to its size and weight, he had to enlist the help of several young men from the village to carry it back.

News of the discovery spread rapidly among the villagers, who flocked to see the stone pork belly. Some even travelled from afar to catch a glimpse of it. The elderly man was delighted to let everyone see it and even turned down an offer to buy it for 100,000 yuan (500,000 baht), believing it to be worth much more.

One day, while watching the programme Asset Evaluation on China Central Television (CCTV), where experts appraise the value of various items, he decided to have the pork belly stone evaluated. As the stone was displayed on stage, it left both the experts and viewers utterly astounded.

Valuable treasure

The expert stated that they had seen pork stones before, but never of this size. The stone was 100% natural, belonging to the sedimentary, sandstone, or metamorphic rock group.

Due to geological movements and contact with other minerals, the stone was chromed, giving it an unusual colour and making it resemble a piece of three-layer pork – skin, fat layer, and lean meat. Such stones are extremely valuable and rare, considered a true treasure.

Upon hearing the expert’s words, the elderly man was overjoyed but also curious about the actual value of his stone.

The expert further noted that such stones are not often bought due to their high price. A similar smaller pork stone had previously been evaluated as a treasure from the Qing dynasty and was valued at over 900,000 yuan (4.5 million baht).

Therefore, the elderly man’s stone, being much larger, would undoubtedly be worth much more.

However, few museums would be willing to invest the money to acquire and display such stones. Therefore, the expert advised the elderly man that the previously offered price of 100,000 yuan was a good selling price, as it might be difficult to find someone willing to pay more for it.

Despite the expert’s advice, the elderly man chose to keep the stone, believing that the longer he kept it, the more its value would increase. He decided to save it for his children and grandchildren, who may benefit from its potential future value and overcome any hardships, reported Sanook.

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