A deep dive into the history of jadeite! It turns out it once belonged to China?

It is now a well-known fact that jadeite originates from Myanmar. Then after digging deep into the history of jadeite, I was shocked to discover that jadeite once belonged to China . What's going on?

1. Jadeite was originally produced in Yunnan

When talking about the history of jadeite being introduced into China, we have to mention the long-famous Ancient Tea-Horse Road. As an important bridge for political, economic, and cultural exchanges between ancient China and other southwestern countries, it also played an indispensable role in the development of jadeite.

As early as the Han Dynasty, jade was already active on the Ancient Tea-Horse Road.

According to historical records, in the ninth year of Yongyuan in the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Shan king of Yongchang, Yunnan (now Baoshan) "sent treasures from the great lakes to present national treasures", and jadeite entered China for the first time from then on. According to the "Yunnan Ji Survey Record", in the early Ming Dynasty, people from Tengchong, Yunnan began to do jade business in Menggong, Myanmar, a jade distribution center. By the end of the Ming Dynasty, the jade industry in Tengchong area in western Yunnan, close to the jade production area of ​​Myanmar, began to take shape on a certain scale.

Historically, the Wulou River Basin in northern Myanmar, where jade is produced, was under the jurisdiction of Yongchang Prefecture (now Baoshan) in Yunnan during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty . In the early and middle Qing Dynasty, this area still belonged to China and was under the jurisdiction of Yunnan . Later, after Myanmar was invaded and occupied by the British army, the area was incorporated into the territory of Myanmar until today.

2. Ming and Qing Dynasties: From Yunnan to China

Over the long years, jade has gone through several stages of development as it spread along the Ancient Tea-Horse Road into Yunnan and even throughout China. Every stage has given birth to a group of jade lovers; every stage, jade shines with its unique brilliance.

Before the mid-Qing Dynasty, because transportation between the north and the south was not very smooth, jade was only presented as a tribute to the royal family and dignitaries, and was not widely recognized and loved. During the Jiaqing and Daoguang reigns, jade products began to become widely circulated in the imperial court and among the people, marking the beginning of its rise.

▲Cixi’s love of jade

Jade is the most beautiful stone and emerald is the king of jades. Jadeite was known as "royal jade" in the Qing Dynasty and was deeply loved by royal aristocrats . It is said that the Empress Dowager Cixi at that time was an avid jade fan. Jade could be seen everywhere, from various jewelry, court beads, jade ruyi, to various jade artworks on display. Among them, jade watermelon and jade cabbage were the most famous. After her death, a large number of jade products were buried with her.

At that time, Myanmar was backward, isolated, and suffered from years of war. Most of the jade exported was rough jade. Therefore, neighboring areas such as Tengchong and Dali in Yunnan gradually became distribution centers for jade processing and trade. A large number of "jade workshops" began to appear, and jade was carved into various styles and flowed to the royal family, nobles, and even all over the country. Whether in terms of popularity or carving craftsmanship, the Qing Dynasty had truly opened up an era of large-scale development and utilization of jade resources, and began to take the first step from Yunnan to the whole country.

3. The Republic of China Era: Advancing with Twists and Turns

During the Republic of China period, Han people continued to enter Myanmar to mine and trade jade, and a large amount of jade raw materials was imported into mainland China via Tengchong, Yunnan. However, due to the impact of war, China's jade market was in a downturn during this period. However, there was one person whose love for jadeite was known to everyone at that time, and she was Ms. Soong Mei-ling.

Jade jewelry had become popular in Shanghai at that time. The elegant cheongsam paired with noble jade fully demonstrated the temperament of the socialites in Shanghai. Ms. Soong Mei-ling, who was of extraordinary status, would naturally not miss such jewelry. The jade twisted bracelet she wore is still talked about today.

▲Song Meiling's jade twist bracelet

Until her later years, Soong May-ling still had a special liking for jadeite. It is said that on her 100th birthday in 1997, she appeared in an elegant black cheongsam with a traditional bun, and wearing a complete set of jade jewelry including jade earrings, jade necklaces, jade bracelets, jade rings, etc., which is enough to show how much she loves jade.

4. After the founding of New China: opening a new era of development

After the founding of New China, with the stabilization of society and the recovery and development of the economy, China's jade market has shown a bright future . The jade trade continued to expand and jade carving technology continued to break through. Jade carving factories were established in Beijing, Shanghai and other parts of the south, which greatly promoted the development of the jade carving industry, including jadeite.

▲The jadeite carving work "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" by Li Zhenqing, a master Chinese jade carving artist

"Along the River During the Qingming Festival" was originally painted by Zhang Zeduan in the Northern Song Dynasty and is known as one of the ten most famous paintings handed down in China. This jade carving work, while being faithful to the original painting, uses jadeite carving as its main form of expression. It vividly depicts the living conditions of the citizens of Tokyo during the Northern Song Dynasty and the bustling scene of shops lining the Bian River and the bustling comings and goings of citizens.

▲"Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea" by Wang Xiwei, Chinese Arts and Crafts Master and Chinese Jade Carving Master (Leading Figure)

After reform and opening up, China's economy has developed rapidly and people's living standards have improved significantly. At the same time, with the increasing trade between China and Myanmar, jadeite has become increasingly popular in China's jade market. Yunnan and Guangdong regions have become important processing and export bases for jade in China. Economically developed central cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou have also become major consumer markets for jade.

As jade is accepted, recognized, loved and consumed by more and more people in the Chinese market, the domestic jade market and even the entire jade market are also growing and developing continuously. We look forward to a more prosperous jade era in the future.

More jadeite appreciation from the Qing Dynasty

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