Naturally Formed “BBQ PORK” Rock
Was for sale on Ebay for US$1,255,000.
The ebay seller claims:
“THIS IS A NATURE ROCK, (PICTURES 2,5,6,7,8) WEIGHS ABOUT 2 LB12 OZ+-, WITH THE RIGHT TOOLS AND A CARVE MASTER, YOU CAN MAKE THIS PIECE ” BBQ PORK” BETTER THAN THE ONE AT THE CHINESE NATIONAL MUSEUM!
Named as one of the Three Treasures of the National Palace Museum, Taiwan, the “Meat-shaped Stone” is a piece of jasper carved into the shape of a Dongpo pork.
The naturally formed “BBQ Pork” rock is a unique geological formation located in the Hexigten Global Geopark in Inner Mongolia, China. This bizarre and captivating rock earned its nickname due to its uncanny resemblance to slabs of glazed Chinese barbecue pork, or char siu. The formation displays layered textures and colors — from deep reds to glossy browns — that mimic the caramelized, fatty appearance of roasted meat. Over millennia, iron-rich minerals and weathering processes sculpted and stained the rock, giving it this strikingly appetizing visual. It’s not just a quirky tourist attraction; geologists study it as an example of how natural forces like oxidation, erosion, and sedimentation can create such realistic illusions in stone.
While it might look like a delicious dish straight from a Cantonese kitchen, the BBQ Pork rock is completely natural — no human shaping or coloring involved. It has gone viral several times on Chinese social media platforms, where people marvel at how closely nature can imitate food. Visitors to the geopark are often surprised and amused by how lifelike the rock appears, turning it into a popular photo-op destination. Beyond the humor, though, the formation reminds us of nature’s ability to create forms that blur the boundary between the organic and inorganic, feeding both scientific curiosity and cultural fascination.