by Ni Yijing

This popular Chinese saying reveals the great value placed on jade among Chinese people. A similar saying is shared among more professional minds: "To understand jade is to understand the Chinese people; the development of jade is the history of China."

Jade has developed into the embodiment of traditional Chinese culture. The Confucian Gentleman was compared to a piece of fine jade, simple yet elegant with inner beauty -- the perfect combination of the five Confucian virtues (benevolence, righteousness, propriety, intelligence and truthfulness).

Among ancient Chinese, the word "jade" was used to describe all kinds of splendid things: fair ladies, beautiful voices, true friends, pure hearts, magnificent houses, sumptuous food and luxurious clothing.

Even the supreme deity of Taoism was given the name of Jade Emperor. As for the worldly Emperor who was believed to live in jade palaces, jade was even more important. The imperial seal was made from the best jade available, thus the name Jade Seal.

In the Han Dynasty, a man of great learning named Xu Shen definition jade as fine stone. In the Old Stone Age, jade was used as common stone and fashioned into simple tools. It was not until the early Neolithic Age (more than 10,000 years ago) that the so-called jade history began in China, with the realization that jade could be carved into precious jade ware.

Jade carving comprises one of China's oldest special handicrafts; jade ware culture's history stretches from the New Stone Age to the current era. Many exquisite jade objects were produced in the Northern Hongshan Culture and the Southern Liangzhu Culture.

The Shang Dynasty produced large amounts of ceremonial jade articles and ornaments with the help of metal tools. Many raw materials were combined with the stone, including topaz, coral, crystals, ruby, sapphire, opal and diamond.

Jade remained pre-eminent in all these creations, a kind of totem under the ruler's absolute control and totally forbidden to common people.

In the Spring and Autumn and the Warring States periods, jade carving technique progressed rapidly. Gradually jadeware was regarded as the symbol of morality, thus at that time no gentleman could be found without a piece of jade.

Jade's lure drove ancient kings to acquire it, by any means necessary, setting the stage for the tragedy of Bian Ho. A native of Chu, Bian Ho dreamed of making his fortune by sending a piece of fine jade to his king. Unfortunately the foolish king didn't recognize the value of the stone, and, in a rage, had Ho's legs cut off.

The worth of the stone was eventually recognized, and became a treasure of the Zhao kingdom. Years later the king of Qin offered 15 cities in exchange for this jade. A smart minister from Zhao managed to retrieve the jade after the swap, but the Qin ruler's failure to get the jade of jades was so humiliating that he eventually conquered Zhao to avenge the insult.

When Qin finally united the whole of China, the first order was to have Ho's jade carved into the imperial seal.

People also began to believe that jade ware could bring them a long life. Some even thought wearing the proper jade ware would ensure immortality. When a person died, his family would put some precious jade into his mouth, in the hope that it might help him return to life. The practice of burying the dead with jade ware brought many beautiful pieces down to us, including jade figures and jade clothes sewn with gold thread, among the items found in the Han tombs.

Jade carving's development slowed some during the time from the Three Kingdoms to the Song dynasty, but large-scale workshops appeared in the Yuan Dynasty, with the southern style centered in Suzhou and the northern style in Beijing.

The Ming Dynasty boasted many well-known craftsmen, whose superb skills were vividly reflected in the excavations from the Ming Tombs. Emperor Qianlong's extreme fondness for jade ware brought about a peak of jade carving in the Qing Dynasty.

Qianlong was famous for numerous love affairs, most of which took place during his visits South of the Yangtze River. Yet his deepest love seemed to be reserved for arts and crafts, especially jade ware. He was an outstanding expert in jade appraisal, and left more than 800 poems praising the beauty of ancient jade ware. Qianlong left three poems dedicated to the grand wine container on display in Beihai Park.

Qianlong was a patron of the simple and elegant style in jade carving, and became more and more impatient with flowery and complicated techniques. He encouraged craftsmen to imitate the ancient style, who therefore produced many replicas of antiques. He even advised them to add ancient signatures, and burn the items so that they might seem genuinely old. His passion also resulted in the creation of many large jade works, including a picture of Yu the Great, harnesser of rivers.

The Qing Dynasty also witnessed the combination of pattern with color. Bats and gourds were most frequently used because the words sound like the words for "good fortune" in Chinese.

Jade in contemporary China is more varied, though it can still be roughly classified as hard or soft. In determining the value of a piece the talent of the craftsman who does the carving is as important as the quality of the stone. Even so, opinions vary widely on the value of different objects of jade, which means there is no universal standard of perfection.

Well-made fakes, such as those made during Qianlong's reign, mix with the genuine pieces, further complicating the market. In fact, many people feel that as soon as you decide to buy a piece of jade, you are on your way to being cheated, sooner or later. Though some people may enjoy this kind of challenge, most prefer to buy from a reliable source.

The Beijing Jade ware Factory, China's largest jade carving factory, is just such an outlet. It produces a variety of works, including figurines, landscapes, vessels and ornaments, all sharing the factory's excellent reputation for producing work of elegant shapes and flawless composition.

Even better, from a buyer's standpoint, all these products are guaranteed as genuine by the authorities, with individual appraisal for authentication available from the Ministry of Geology and Mineral Resources. Some pieces even have certificates of quality issued by the state.

If you'd like to understand Chinese culture, all you need is a piece of fine jade. The rest is simple. "Open Jade," that is, open the door to the world of jade, and you will find yourself opening the door to China.

The Beijing Jade Factory has workshop and shop specially open for foreign tourist. You can see personally the carving process, and buy jade ware from ear rings to large inhouse plants made of jade.

Address: No. 11, Guangming Lu, Chongwen District