雨花石，形成于距今250万年至150万年，是一种天然花玛瑙，主要出产于江苏省仪征市境内，其产量约占全国总量的90%，为全国最大的雨花石产地。所产雨花石之质、形、纹、色、呈象、意境六美兼备，被誉为“天赐国宝，中华一绝”。美丽的雨花石被人们欣赏、收藏已有千年历史，近年来，古风复起，雨花石倍受国内外人士青睐，成为馈赠亲友、欣赏、收藏的珍贵礼品。

    雨花石是花形的石,是石质的花。凝天地之灵气，聚日月之精华,孕万物之风采,其主要特征是“ 六美”：质美、形美、弦美、色美、呈象美、意境美。在赏玩、收藏雨花石时，可根据其呈像分为人 物、动物、风景、花木、文字、抽象石等、按照“ 六美”程度可分为绝品石、珍品石、精品石、佳品石等品级，观之令人旷神怡，赏之可意安体泰。古往今来，备受人们喜爱。历代名人及文人骚客爱石甚多，周恩来总理曾经收藏雨花石，前国务院副总理吴学谦91年10月来仪征市月塘乡时，观赏了雨花石，京剧大师梅兰芳先生也曾赏玩雨花石，汉城奥运会上中国体育运动员将雨花石作为中国的象征永久存在汉城。如今中国及国外赏玩、收藏雨花石越来越多，它已成为馈赠来宾、亲友的高档礼品，雨花石风光无限。

    鉴于雨花石如此之美，1993年中华人民共和国文化部拍摄了专题纪录片《雨花石》，1994年4月拍摄完毕后译成了10种外语，用于我国各驻外使馆对外文化宣传及海外有关电视台播放，又一次掀起了“雨花石”热。

How to appreciate yuhua stones(raining flowers stones)?

Rain flower （yuhua stone)pebbles,treasured as a remarkable rarity among the stones for appreciation in the world,are a local product of yizheng,a beautiful city by the yangtze river .they got htis name for their colorful appearance and attracive flower patterms from within.

The rare curios among yuhua stones are htemselves beauty,purity,and crystalclarity,sparkling with inspiration.bigger ones are no more than several inches in dimension,but within this small scope is seen a mini-cosmos,which fascinates the viewers so much that they tour it by imagination,reluctant to leave.the pattern on a yuhua stone can have lots of meanings.nearly all aspects in the boundless universe can be similarly or vividly mirrored,such as the sun,the moon,the mountain and river,flowers,birds,insecets and animals,people and utensils,and even abstract designs.the various patterns and colors in stones are formed totally free from any artificial polish or painting.this kind of miraculous endowments are really intoxicating and amazing.

In view of the splendidness of yuhua stones,ministry of culture,in 1993,decided to make a monographic documentary film named "yuhua stone",which was accomplished in april,1994.this film is going to be teanslated into ten foreign languages,for overseas tv stations concerned,or embassies and consulates to broadcast for the purpose of cultural dissemination.it can be expected that the stone will get its well-merited reputation in the world via the broadcasting of this film.