Jade culture originated in the early Neolithic Age and continues to this day, which is a remarkable feature that distinguishes China culture from other civilizations in the world. China people regard jade as the crystallization of the essence of heaven and earth, and take it as the intermediary of communication between man and god, which makes jade have unusual religious symbolic significance. Jade taken from nature and pondered in the palace is regarded as a symbol of rank and status and an important part of the so-called "ritual system" to maintain social ruling order. At the same time, the special role of jade in funeral also makes jade have unparalleled mysterious religious significance. It is a great creation of China people to compare some natural characteristics of jade with people's moral quality and praise it as the virtue that a so-called "gentleman" should have. Therefore, the spiritual culture produced by jade in ancient China is a very interesting special case of world civilization. It is the vivid embodiment of the Oriental spirit and the material basis of the essence of China cultural tradition.
As the material basis of this unique culture, Chinese jade is the "beauty of stone" selected by the ancestors of the Chinese nation, which has moist aesthetic feeling and practical function. This screening process is extremely long, which can be said to run through the Stone Age. In this long screening process, "the jade of Kunshan", namely "Hetian jade", has become recognized as "Baoyu" and "real jade".
China is a country that loves and worships jade. There are about 100 kinds of jade sources. In the history of China, the definition of genuine jade and non-genuine jade has already been reflected in the jade utilization system. The emperor was the highest stratum in ancient China, and Hetian jade became the real jade, which was also used by the emperor. Since then, after countless years, Hetian jade has just entered the folk, covering all aspects of people's lives in China.
Hetian jade is the treasure of the Chinese nation and the "national stone" of China. Like a pearl, it shines brightly in the history and culture of China, and it is a symbol of the moral spirit of the Chinese nation.
Hetian jade is closely related to the occurrence and development of Chinese civilization and has a deep origin. Archaeologists in China have recently proposed that there exists a jade age in China, which is between stone tools, bronzes and ironware, with a history of more than 3,000 years. The jade age is the origin of Chinese civilization. As early as the Neolithic Age, the ancestors at the foot of Kunlun Mountain discovered Hetian jade, which was transported to the East and West as a medium of treasures and friendship, forming the oldest transportation channel of Hetian jade in China-"Jade Road", which was the predecessor of the later "Silk Road". The 7,000-year history of development and utilization of Hetian jade proves that the first medium for cultural and commercial exchanges between China's border areas and the Central Plains and between the East and the West is Hetian jade, neither silk nor porcelain. Hetian jade plays an important role in the cultural and economic exchanges between the East and the West. Hetian jade has always been a symbol of friendship among all ethnic groups in China. Hetian jade, as a historical verification, eloquently proves that Xinjiang has been an inseparable part of China since ancient times.
Since Shang Dynasty, China has opened a new era of jade arts and crafts with Hetian jade as the main body. As Hetian jade boarded the jade altar of the Chinese nation, the world-renowned "Oriental Art" appeared, forming a magnificent jade history in China, which became an important part of the splendid culture of the Chinese nation, a brilliant achievement in the history of human art and a precious heritage in the treasure house of world culture and art.
Due to the excellent quality of Hetian jade, the Chinese nation has formed a national love for jade for thousands of years. "The love of jade can be said to be one of the cultural characteristics of China. For more than 3,000 years, the texture, shape and color of jade have inspired sculptors, painters and poets "(Needham). A hundred schools of thought contend to interpret Hetian jade with Confucianism and give it the connotation of "virtue". Therefore, the theory that jade has eleven virtues, nine virtues and five virtues has been widely spread and accepted by the whole society and has become the spiritual pillar of jade in China for a long time. This combination of virtue and jade combines jade and virtue, and has the concept of jade and virtue; At the same time, jade became attached to the gentleman. The unique material consciousness, social consciousness and spiritual consciousness of jade are the ideological achievements of our Chinese nation and become the rich ideological and spiritual connotation of Chinese jade culture. The Chinese jade culture with a history of more than 7,000 years has a long duration, rich content, wide scope and far-reaching influence, which is incomparable to many other cultures. The glory of Chinese jade culture is no less than the Great Wall and the miracle of Terracotta Warriors and Horses in the Qin Dynasty. The achievements of Chinese jade culture far exceed those of silk culture, tea culture, porcelain culture and wine culture. Chinese jade culture contains great national spirit and has patriotic national integrity of "Better to be a broken jade". The unity and friendship fashion of "turning war into jade"; Selfless dedication of "moistening with warmth"; Integrity and integrity of "yoga does not cover up flaws"; The pioneering spirit of "keen, honest and indomitable"