“There is Emei in the south and thrush in the north.” This is a widely circulated saying in the hot spring area in the northwest of Beijing. The "Unification of the Ming Dynasty" says, "The stone produced in Wanping County is black and not strong. It is polished like ink. People in the Jin Dynasty often call it thrush, and it is also called sun eyebrow stone. "Therefore, there is a stone named Dai in the West, which can be used as a substitute for thrush.
The black stone produced on Huamei Mountain has a fine texture and is called Daishi. During the Jin Dynasty, Daishi was collected for the palace ladies’ thrush, so the mountain was called Huamei Mountain. According to the analysis of red scholars, when Cao Xueqin named Lin Daiyu, he was also inspired by thrush stone. It is also said that when Cao Xueqin lived near Xiaoshiqiao in Baijiatuan, it was the time when he wrote "A Dream of Red Mansions".
In the third chapter of "Dream of Red Mansions", when Baoyu met Baoyu for the first time, Baoyu asked Daiyu her name and then her cousin's name, and Daiyu said "no word". Baoyu said with a smile: "I give my sister a wonderful word, no more than the word frown." According to "A Comprehensive Examination of Ancient and Modern Figures", "There is a stone named Dai in the West, which can replace the ink of a thrush. Sister Kuang Lin's eyebrows are pointed. Wouldn't it be better to use the word "wow"? "When Baoyu saw Daiyu, the first thing he noticed was her eyebrows and eyes: "The two eyebrows look like frown but not frown, and the pair look like happiness but not. Her eyes are filled with joy and love." She has "a frown on her eyebrows." The thrush requires the use of Daishi, which is Daiyu.
It is possible that Cao Xueqin came up with the character-rich name "Daiyu" due to the influence of Daishi. The black stone from Huamei Mountain can be made into ink and inkstones because it "grinds like ink". According to Mr. Zhang Baozhang, an expert on the history and geography of the western suburbs of Beijing, although the Dai Inkstone is not as hard and delicate as the Duan Inkstone, it is still exquisite, clear, and antique. Especially because it is carved from Dai stone, it makes people think more deeply and cannot put it down. There is also a legend about Huamei Mountain.