Hetian, located in the southwest of Xinjiang in Northwest China, is famous for its exquisite, pure white and flawless jade -- Hetian jade.
Hetian jade has a history of more than 2,000 years, originating in the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476BC). In ancient times, Hetian jade was transported into the Central Plains in batches and then engraved into all kinds of exquisite sacrificial vessels and jade ornaments. The Jade Clothes Sewn with Gold Threads unearthed in a Western Han Tomb in Heibei Province is made of 2,000-odd pieces of Hetian jade. Through the ages, Hetian jade had been considered a priceless treasure.
Traditionally, the fine jade in Chinese refers to the soft jade, with a rigidity of only 6.5, which is very precious. Jade can be classified into white, green, blue, yellow and black, etc. and the white one is the most precious. Among the various Hetian jade, Yangzhi jade is considered the best of the white jade.
This region was so abundant in Hetian jade that people in the past could easily find it on the ground. But now people have to climb the snow-covered mountain peak to find some, for not much is left on ground after so many years of exploration. According to current statistics, the annual output of Hetian jade is around 20-30 tons. |
