The twelve animal stones, originally named "Wushan Twelve Peaks," were described in old records as: "There are twelve handsome stones, rising from the flat ground, delicate and slender, standing apart like mountains, each named after its image, such as the pen stand, incense burner, chessboard, elephant's trunk, jade bamboo shoot, turtle's breath, coiling dragon, sword spring, ox's sleep, dancing crane, singing phoenix, and crouching tiger." The people of Hangzhou City, because these stones resemble the animals of the twelve zodiac signs—rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, chicken, dog, and pig—thus they are collectively known as the "Twelve Animal Stones."