Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region - The Land of Jade and Gem 玉和宝石之乡

Xinjiang has long been reputed as “the Land of Jade and Gem.” According to Memoirs of King Mu, 2,900 years ago, King Mu of the Zhou Dynasty, while touring the Western Region in his eight-horse-drawn carriage, found that the Kunlun Mountains in Southern Xinjiang, was the “site of fine and precious jade in to country.” As recorded in The Pictorial Annal of Xinjiang of the Qing Dynasty that Hotan was the source of jade with different colurs, such as dark purple, yellow, blue, bluish blue, black and white, of which white jade was reputed as the “Cream of Jade” in ancient times.

Sparkling and crystal clear with multi-colour, jade is considered to be the symbol of happiness and purity. As a result, in ancient times most of the jade produced in Xinjiang was carried to inland as a valued tribute to the feudal emperors. It was recorded in History of Five Dynasties that during the Jin Dynasty, the King of Yutian dispatched his envoys to present 500 kilograms of jade and jade seal of vanquishing monsters as tributes to Emperor Gao Zong of the Jin Dynasty. During the reign of Emperor Jiaqing (1796-1820) of the Qing Dynasty, three pieces of Hotan jade weighing 3,000 kilograms; the King of Hotan respectively presented 4,000 kilograms and 5,000 kilograms to the emperor. At present, the large jade sculpture, “Yu the Great Harnessing the Rivers” in the Forbidden City in Beijing was carved from the green white Hotan jade weighing 5,000 kilograms, which was presented as a tribute to the Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty.

The deposits of the Hotan jade have always been found in both Kunlun Mountains and Kalakunlun Mountains. In the past, the local people collected jade mainly on the riverbed. As recorded in the History of Song Dynasty: Annals of Yutian that people of the country collected jade in the river in autumn every year and called this process dredging jade. Nowadays, this means of collecting jade remains unchanged, although it cannot meet the demand of jade carving. At present, many mechanized jade-mining factories have been built in Yutian, Qiemom Manas, which can suit the development of jade carving industry. Statistics show that the annual output of the jade produced in Hotan is some ten times that of the jade production before 1949.

Without being carved, an uncut jade will never be a work of art. Now advanced jade carving factories have been built in Hotan, Xijiang. Many kinds of beautifully shaped art objects are carved with figures, birds, and animals, fish and insects, flowers and bottles etc. These products are well sold both at home and abroad.

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