Jade is beautiful, elegant, gentle and delicate. It conveys the rich spiritual connotations of ancient Chinese and cultural history throughout the ages. In the ancient Orient, the people made amazing achievements in discovering, carving, adapting and appreciating jade. They transformed jade of all shapes into perfect artifacts that reflected the world around them and provided spiritual sustenance. In this two-episode series, the presenter takes the audience across mountains, walking on sandbars, observing ruins and exploring the development of Chinese civilization through time and space, presenting viewers with a unique look into Oriental history.
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00:30From Zhejiang Liangzhu to Sichuan Sanxingdui, the two civilizations not only have a history of more than 1,000 years, but also have a distance of more than 1,800 kilometers.
00:54In 2021, a divine tree, Wen Yucong, appeared in the Sanxingdui sacrificial pit.
01:01The ancient people carved their representative divine tree image into the first Yucong of the Liangzhu people.
01:15In the two ancient city ruins in the Yellow River Basin, the shadow of Liangzhu Yucong also shone.
01:25The 2.8 million square meter Taose site is in Xiangfen County, Linfen City, North China's Shanxi Province.
01:35A well-planned ancient city was gradually discovered by archaeologists, revealing a 130,000 square meter palace district, the earliest known observatory, over 1,000 tombs and a handicraft business area.
01:50A magnificent city from the early stage of human nation building is now being displayed to the world.
01:58Within 4,300 to 3,900 years ago, the ancestors of Taose already reached a brilliant level of development.
02:08Their use of jadeware, however, seemed a bit more pragmatic.
02:12For example, the tetragonal jade Song unearthed here are simpler in looks than those from the Liangzhu period, with fewer patterns.
02:42In addition to jade Song, jade axes were also unearthed at the Taose site.
02:56What's special about these jade axes are the small holes on them. What were they for?
03:12They were used to enhance the sense of ritual.
03:24The Taose site also led to the discovery of a small jade artifact in the shape of a human face.
03:31It measures 6.5 centimeters wide, 3.5 centimeters tall, and only 3 millimeters thick.
03:38With a crown on its head, hollowed eyes, and a serene expression.
03:56The jade artifacts of Taose, having absorbed past and outside influences,
04:01and showing a look of both magnificence and simplicity, shed light on the ritual customs of that time in history.
04:17Over 400 kilometers north of the Taose site can be found another large stone city site in Xiongmu, Yulin City, Shanxi Province.
04:28Taking up an area of about 4.25 million square meters, the Xiongmu site has an imperial city terrace, an inner city, and an outer city.
04:41The city walls are mostly intact, with two winding sections that totaled 10 kilometers in length.
04:48A large number of flaky jade pieces were built into the stone walls.
04:58In ancient Chinese mythology, a jade terrace was the residence of immortals, with a jade entrance as a gateway, supposedly both built with fine jade.
05:18What could be the purpose of crafting jade into flakes and hiding them in walls?
05:27The purpose is to enhance the function of the jade as a gateway.
05:33Hiding a jade in a wall, with a stone sculpture on the wall, and a head under the wall,
05:38these three situations express the spiritual desire of the people who built the walls.
05:44For years, the large stone city, that once thrived on the steep terrains,
05:49continued to impress archaeologists with hidden jade pieces in walls,
05:53music instruments that helped to communicate with the heavens, and mysterious stone carvings.
06:00These discoveries all seem to portray Xiongmu as a holy city.
06:23A strong thread ties them closely together in the process of civilization.
06:35The archaeological excavation site will have some unique jade pieces.
06:40Let's follow the archaeologists' footsteps to find out.
06:43Let's go.
06:51The Lingjiatan site is located on the mudflat of the Taihu Mountain, Ma'anshan City, East China's Anhui Province.
07:00Since 1987, this site, that dates back to 5,800 to 5,300 years ago,
07:08has come to represent an exquisitely built ideal home by Chinese ancestors.
07:16A bird's eye view shows a defense system consisting of two large trenches.
07:22The area inside the trenches and the Yuxi River made up the living space that was separated from the rest.
07:30An altar stands at the highest point in sight, beyond the inner trench.
07:36Dozens of tombs, big and small, are scattered around the altar.
07:43Over the past decades, a large number of jade artifacts were unearthed here,
07:47including the largest prehistoric arc-shaped jade pendant and stone axe to date.
08:17Most jade artifacts unearthed at the Lingjiatan site came from the tomb known as the Tomb of the Chief.
08:47Why were such a large number of jade items so thoughtfully arranged, as if to sketch a human figure?
09:18The jade-studded tomb inspires boundless imagination.
09:23Maybe the ancestors of Lingjiatan were already contemplating the question of life and death.
09:35This jade tortoise unearthed here has smooth and almost shiny belly and back shells.
09:42Between them is a third jade plate.
09:44All three pieces have holes drilled on the edges, so they can be held together with ropes.
09:50Upon closer observation, one can see a rectangular protrusion on the middle jade plate, with two concentric circles at the center.
09:59Big arrows were engraved to point towards the four corners,
10:04and another eight arrows can be seen in the ring area, formed between the circles.
10:09Within the inner circle is an octagonal star pattern.
10:13It is a map of the universe at the time.
10:17It represents the celestial body, the center of the sky.
10:20The stars orbit the celestial body.
10:24Another jade artifact unearthed at the Lingjiatan site bears the same star pattern.
10:31This jade eagle measures 8.4 cm long and 3.5 cm wide.
10:37Its head is turned sideways, with one eye staring at the front, and wings spread out.
10:45A prominent octagonal star pattern is engraved on its chest.
10:50The edges of the eagle's wings are carved like pig heads.
10:57Besides animal-shaped artifacts, jade figures were also carved as avatars of devout Lingjiatan ancestors.
11:08This jade figure is all dressed up with tightly closed eyes and hands resting on his chest.
11:15He seems to be performing some kind of ritual.
11:29Multiple jade figures were unearthed in the tombs at the Lingjiatan site.
11:33Sitting or standing, they hold up both hands and rest them on their chest.
11:39During almost the same period in history,
11:42a similar jade figurine was found at the Niuhe Liang site of the Hongshan people over 1,000 km away.
11:50Might there be some connection between the two?
12:03Hongshan people used jade dragons or dragons,
12:06and one of the dragons in the Lingjiatan site had a dragon-like form.
12:10They actually had the same universe view,
12:13and showed the same way of communicating with the gods.
12:17More than shedding light on what humans looked like over 5,000 years ago,
12:22the jade figurines unearthed in Lingjiatan also demonstrate remarkable craftsmanship.
12:28This jade figurine has a hole in the back that a thin thread can go through to make it wearable.
12:36The diameter of the hole is only 0.15 mm at the narrowest, thinner than two sheets of A4 paper.
12:46This jade ear ornament is also described by some as the jade trumpet.
12:53Measuring only 0.9 mm, the trumpet wall shows hardly any trace of cutting or polishing,
13:00even under high-powered microscopes.
13:02Such unique designs and craftsmanship of Lingjiatan jadeware
13:07could only have been enabled by unusual artistic wisdom.
13:22Lingjiatan culture was established 5,300 years ago,
13:26and along the Yangtze River, the Shijiahe culture of Hubei was born.
13:30The unique design and craftsmanship of the jade
13:33led to a new stage of development.
13:42The Shijiahe period is named after the relic site that was discovered in Tiananmen City.
13:49Archaeologists have identified four distinct layers of earth
13:53resulting from different periods of human activities,
13:56proving that people had lived here as early as 5,900 years ago.
14:01The Shijiahe ancients produced pottery until 4,200 years ago,
14:07when they began to churn out lots of fine jade artifacts.
14:12That was probably due to intrusions by outside tribes
14:16that brought with them a prominent jade-using custom.
14:24At Tanjialing, center of the Shijiahe site,
14:28a large number of jade artifacts were unearthed in 2015
14:33and became great examples of jadeware from that time in history.
14:40In Tang Dynasty poetry, jade figure was a popular metaphor for beautiful ladies.
14:47A good number of precious jade head portraits collected by Tiananmen Museum,
14:52however, tell more varied stories from over 4,000 years ago.
15:01This one, for instance, was carved in realistic style.
15:05He may have been a leader or a wizard of the time.
15:10This one is more exaggerated, with slanted eyes, a hooked nose and a mysterious smile.
15:17Four front teeth and the three gaps in between are clearly visible.
15:22Other jade handicrafts unearthed at the Shijiahe site include a jade mask with fangs.
15:40Animal-shaped jade artifacts unearthed here are more varied.
15:46This jade tiger, with its head facing one direction and a curling tail pointing at another,
15:52seems to be gathering strength for a prance.
15:57This jade eagle is no less than a fine work of art either,
16:03with prominent eyes, folded wings and a fan-shaped tail.
16:09Its slightly hooked beak points downward, which is nothing special until examined further.
16:17It has a conical shape.
16:20Its beak is round and it can move.
16:23We found it very exciting.
16:25Its mouth is made of flash jade and its body is made of silver jade.
16:29Its mouth and body are made of different kinds of jade.
16:35Besides sculpting animals, ancient Shijiahe people also carved mythological creatures,
16:42such as the dragon and the phoenix.
16:44They are both totem animals revered by Chinese people.
16:49Even today, newlyweds often receive blessings such as the dragon and phoenix joined in matrimony.
16:57The jade phoenix unearthed in Shijiahe is older than a similar one found elsewhere.
17:03In 1976, in Anyang city of Henan province,
17:07a jade phoenix was found in the tomb of a Shang Dynasty female general named Fu Hao.
17:12Wearing a crown of flowers, the bird turns to the side with a brisk and carefree presence.
17:19The patterns here and the carving methods used look very similar to the jade phoenix in Shijiahe.
17:26These two tools are used in the same way.
17:30Some materials are not needed.
17:33If you grind the material, it will bulge in other places.
17:36This is called the miter-cutting tool.
17:38Many jade tools unearthed in Fu Hao's tomb
17:41are used to express a large number of dual-winged patterns.
17:47This requires a high level of skill.
17:49Miter-cutting is no longer a typical way of using jade tools in Fu Hao's tomb.
18:01The jade phoenix in Shijiahe was collected by Fu Hao more than a thousand years later.
18:06the turning point of Chinese jade culture.
18:10In fact, in the prehistoric period,
18:13the exchange of Chinese jade culture
18:15also began to take place between the Yellow River and the Yangtze River.
18:21From 4,500 years ago to 4,000 years ago,
18:23with the arrival of the Longshan era,
18:25which saved energy for the birth of the dynasty,
18:27Chinese jade culture also showed a new face.
18:33Although black pottery is the main legacy of the Longshan people,
18:37their jade crafts are equally fascinating.
18:44This hairpin, inlaid with turquoise from over 4,000 years ago,
18:49was unearthed in a large tomb at the Longshan site in Linchu County,
18:54east China's Shandong province.
19:02This is a fan-shaped jade,
19:04which is flattened,
19:06and is used for carving,
19:08as well as for inlaying.
19:10The jade used for inlaying is green pine jade.
19:15A few thousand years ago,
19:16there was no modern healing tool.
19:18How did they do it?
19:20Modern people are incredible.
19:22Those highly skilled jade craftsmen
19:24had obviously imparted their know-how
19:26to people living on father lands.
19:29Turquoise inlays were later used by people
19:32living in central China's Henan province
19:35to make a bronze plaque turquoise dragon.
19:38Another iconic jade artifact created by the Longshan people
19:42became an important symbol of power
19:44and ranking for ancestors of Erli Tou in Henan province.
19:50The Longshan Tomb
19:57From 6,000 years ago to 4,000 years ago,
19:59when the dawn of civilization shone on the ancient land of China,
20:03the people of the land
20:05gave civilization a brilliant color
20:07through the carving and use of jade.
20:10From the humble and ordinary tribes,
20:12to the large-scale ancient city and country.
20:16A small piece of jade
20:18embodies the spirit of the people.
20:20Gradually, in different regions of the land,
20:22in different ethnic groups,
20:24it built up a broad cultural identity.
20:33In the eastern part of Luoyang Basin, Henan province,
20:37bordering a mountain to the north
20:39and a river to the south,
20:41the Erli Tou region
20:44the Erli Tou relic site
20:46unveiled the magnificent First Imperial Dynasty
20:50in Chinese history.
20:53A unique type of jade artifacts
20:55unearthed from the tombs here
20:57offers an insight into the strength of the Xia Dynasty.
21:02They are called Ya Jiang,
21:04which means tooth plaque.
21:08It's so named because the top end
21:10is shaped like a chipped tooth.
21:14It first appeared in the Longshan Period.
21:19It was used for sacrifices, etc.
21:21It was placed on the top end of a three-starred pillar
21:23and was held by a bronze figure.
21:25The bronze figure was holding the tooth plaque
21:27on top of the tombstone.
21:29This sense of ritual is very, very strong.
21:34Ya Jiang unearthed at Erli Tou are bigger,
21:37with shallow but delicate carvings on the sides.
21:41These dragon-shaped toothed features
21:44were unseen on earlier versions of such jadeware.
21:54The dragon is a legendary Chinese totem animal
21:57and a recurring motif for relics unearthed at Erli Tou,
22:01including the magnificent turquoise dragon
22:04and the bronze plaque.
22:11More surprisingly, similar Ya Jiang artefacts
22:15were found at the Sanxingdui site
22:18and the Jinsha site in inland Sichuan,
22:21as well as at relic sites in coastal Fujian,
22:24Guangdong and Hong Kong,
22:26all far away from the Central Plain.
22:33Why were Ya Jiang artefacts found
22:36in such great numbers and spanning wide regions?
23:07The spread of Ya Jiang is a testament
23:10of the Xia Dynasty's influence
23:13that extended thousands of kilometres.
23:16This might mean that the Xia period
23:19opened a new chapter of Chinese civilisation,
23:22characterised by a shared dynastic,
23:25cultural and ritual identity.
23:28A nation of ethnic diversity and unity
23:31had by then taken shape.
23:37The Chinese civilisation and its jade-using tradition
23:41continued to advance despite the changes of dynasties.
23:49In the spring of 1976,
23:51at the Yin ruins in the late Shang dynasty capital
23:54of Anyang in Henan province,
23:56up to 800 jade artefacts were unearthed
23:59in a moderate-sized tomb
24:01that had fortunately never been raided.
24:04A great number of jade items were discovered
24:07from way before the Qin Dynasty began,
24:10in 221 BC.
24:12In addition to the collectibles
24:14from the tomb owner's own time,
24:17there were a large number of earlier jade relics
24:20and repurposed old jade.
24:22Many closely resembled the jadeware
24:25discovered at the Xinlonghua, Hongshan
24:28and Qijia relic sites,
24:30with clear metaphysical meanings.
24:35This unusual collection belonged to Fu Hao,
24:39the beloved queen of Shang dynasty king Wu Ding.
24:45Back then, offering sacrifice
24:47was the exclusive right of the monarchy,
24:50with jade playing a crucial role.
25:05Jade weapons such as swords, knives and spears
25:08were also found in the Fu Hao tomb.
25:11This indicates the important status of Fu Hao
25:14as the first known female general in Chinese history,
25:17who had fought for the kingdom multiple times.
25:34In 1046 BC, after the Battle of Muye,
25:37King Wu led his army to defeat the Shang dynasty king.
25:41The Zhou Dynasty officially stepped onto the stage of history.
25:45The Liyue system developed in the Zhou Dynasty
25:48had a profound impact on the development
25:51of Chinese traditional culture and society.
25:57On the banks of the Yellow River
25:59in Sanmenxia city of Henan province,
26:02a cemetery in which Zhou Dynasty dukes rested
26:05revealed how jade was used in rituals of that time.
26:11This jade plaque was unearthed
26:13from the tomb of Duke Guo Zhong,
26:16who was King Wu's uncle.
26:24This shovel-shaped green jade plaque
26:27bears identical patterns on both sides,
26:30with the profile of a squatting man in the upper half
26:34and two dragons curling behind him and under his feet.
26:54Jade plaques are one of six ritual items
26:57used to honour heaven, earth and the four cardinal directions.
27:01The Book of Rites of Zhou records that
27:04jade was used to make the following ritual tools.
27:07The light blue disc, to worship heaven,
27:10yellow tetragonal song, to salute the earth,
27:13green plaque, to honour the east,
27:15red plaque, the south, white tiger, the west
27:18and bronze arc, the north.
27:20Together they formed a complete collection
27:23of ritual appliances of the Zhou Dynasty
27:25and, in turn, forged an unparalleled tie
27:28between jade and important rituals.
27:35Among the six items, the jade arc was used
27:38not only to honour the north in rituals,
27:41but also as important parts of luxury ornaments.
27:51This set of jade accessories from the Zhou period
27:54comprised of various arc-shaped pendants,
27:57agate beads, tube beads and other ornaments.
28:01Both decorative and ceremonial,
28:04luxurious jade pieces so assembled
28:07became must-haves for nobles.
28:11The status of the royalties and officials
28:14could be differentiated even from their pace of walking.
28:18More complex jade accessories indicated higher positions.
28:24The jade accessories played two roles.
28:27One was the role of the footwear.
28:29When people wore jade accessories,
28:31they could not walk forward in a hurry.
28:33They had to walk in a stable manner
28:35to ensure that the jade accessories were stable.
28:37Another role was that during the process of walking,
28:40there would be slight collisions
28:42between the jade accessories and the jade pieces.
28:45There would be the sound of jade bells
28:47and people would know that a gentleman had come.
28:51A quote from the Book of Songs
28:53described a beloved husband as a gentleman
28:56as warm as jade.
28:59By Confucian standards,
29:00a gentleman is one who has all the great virtues of a man.
29:07Similarly, the Confucian standard of fine jade
29:10puts quality before colour and appearance,
29:13which explains the popular metaphor
29:15of comparing virtue to jade.
29:19Confucius himself, an advocate of virtue,
29:22generously endowed jade with 11 merits,
29:25including benevolence, wisdom, righteousness,
29:29propriety and elegance.
29:32That's how fine jade,
29:34with its soothing look and pure texture,
29:37became the symbol of virtues.
29:41After serving for thousands of years
29:43as religious and ritual tools,
29:45jade had become associated
29:48with the integrity of a man by Confucius.
29:52He called for benevolent governance all his life,
29:56especially when he saw traditional values
29:59that he had cherished collapse in continued warfare.
30:04What role did jade play during the turbulent times
30:08when princes vied for supremacy?
30:16In December 1965,
30:19Houma City in North China's Shanxi Province
30:22was getting ready to build a new power plant.
30:25During the excavation work,
30:27pieces of jade tablets with faded red scripts
30:30caught people's attention.
30:34These tablets proved to be official documents
30:37of the Jin State in the late spring and autumn period.
30:43This egg-sized oath tablet alone
30:45has 90 characters written on both sides.
30:53Zhao Yang, a high-ranking official,
30:55had attempted to ally with different forces within the state.
31:01They wrote their oaths on jade tablets,
31:04pledging not to seek wealth,
31:06to remain loyal and united,
31:08to fight the enemies
31:10and to denounce treacherous behaviors.
31:15In ancient times, jade was a god-like object.
31:18I wrote my oath on a jade tablet
31:21that was a god-like object.
31:24This is a legal obligation.
31:27This is a contractual relationship.
31:30God knows this relationship.
31:33Of course, you have to follow it.
31:38Numbering thousands,
31:40these tablets bore witness to troubled times
31:43and added to the list of jade's roles
31:45as carrying codes of behavior
31:47to keep alliances in check.
31:59In 221 BC,
32:01Qin conquered the six smaller kingdoms
32:04and effectively ended over 500 years of feudal separatism.
32:08A united, centralized empire was established,
32:11the first of its kind in Chinese history.
32:14But the Qin dynasty was short-lived
32:17and was soon replaced by another powerful family of rulers
32:20and a prosperous era under their reign.
32:42Some believe that by using jade to make poems,
32:45one can live forever.
32:47In the Han Dynasty,
32:49life and death were like living and death.
32:52The highest-class jade,
32:54the most complex in craftsmanship,
32:56the largest in volume,
32:58and the most expensive,
33:00is considered a special piece of clothing.
33:04This stone garment,
33:06made with over 4,000 plaques of jade sewn together
33:10with over 1,000 grams of golden threads,
33:13is the earliest jade suit unearthed in China
33:17and with the largest number of plaques.
33:20Research shows that it belonged to Liu Wu,
33:23the third Duke of Chu during the Han Dynasty.
33:28The suit, pillow,
33:30handheld playthings,
33:32body plugs and covers,
33:34and jade disk,
33:36form a complete set of jade burial items
33:39typically used in the Han Dynasty.
33:42The jade disk is the most important piece of clothing
33:45in the Han Dynasty.
33:47It is the most important piece of clothing
33:50in the history of the Han Dynasty.
33:53It is the most important piece of clothing
33:56typically used in the Han Dynasty.
33:59These dazzling garments declared the owner's special status
34:03and carried people's wish for immortality.
34:11Besides burial suits,
34:13another type of jade wear also mirrored
34:16the strict feudal hierarchy of the Han Dynasty.
34:27In 1968, 14-year-old Kong Zhongliang
34:31found this jade seal in a canal.
34:37It's an empress seal,
34:39found not far from the mausoleum
34:42built for Han Emperor Liu Bang and his wife,
34:45which means that the seal
34:47might have belonged to Empress Lu Zhe.
34:57The Han Dynasty had a strict seal-using system.
35:00Only emperors and empresses could use seals
35:03carved out of flawless white jade,
35:06nicknamed mutton fat.
35:11Such rare jade is mined from Houtan
35:14in northwest China's Xinjiang.
35:16Xinjiang is the capital of the Han Dynasty.
35:19It is the capital of the Han Dynasty.
35:22It is the capital of the Han Dynasty.
35:25The Houtan jade produced in Xinjiang
35:28is of the highest quality.
35:30Especially the nobles,
35:32such as the emperor and the king,
35:35use the best quality Houtan jade.
35:38During the Imperial Han Dynasty,
35:40Houtan jade was endorsed
35:42as the primary jade material for royal usage.
35:45By the ensuing Sui and Tang Dynasties,
35:48Houtan jade became one of the main raw materials
35:51for Chinese jade carvings.
35:54Based on dynasties of experiences,
35:56later generations identified
35:58four top-grade jade mines in China,
36:01namely Xiuyan jade in Liaoning,
36:04Houtan jade in Xinjiang,
36:07Lantian jade in Shanxi,
36:10and Dushan jade in Henan.
36:16From January to May of 2023,
36:19a grand exhibition of treasured Chinese jade
36:22was held at the Shanxi History Museum.
36:25The display of 450 items from 48 museums
36:29clearly outlined the development
36:32of China's jade-using history.
36:35There is no other nationality or culture
36:38in the world that is as lovingly and lovingly
36:41as Chinese culture.
36:43It can be said that jade culture
36:45has influenced Chinese life
36:47and shaped the spirit of Chinese people.
36:52Since the Qin and Han periods,
36:54this precious gemstone saw the rises
36:57and falls of dynasties.
36:59It had been fashioned into various shapes
37:02for multiple uses before taking on
37:04a realistic look in modern times
37:07and entering the lives of millions.
37:17Today, Chinese people are just as passionate
37:20about carving, admiring, and collecting jade.
37:24Like their ancestors,
37:26they bestow upon the lucky stone
37:28virtues and aspirations,
37:30such as love for one's family and country
37:33and even universal harmony.
37:37In 2019, to celebrate China's National Day,
37:4135 artists had spent 14 months
37:44sculpting a jade replica of the Great Wall
37:48out of a 118-ton shioyan jade block.
38:00The jade Great Wall,
38:02with its magnificent fortresses,
38:04stands amidst a thick canopy of maple trees
38:07and towering cypresses,
38:09symbolizing the gentle but resilient spirit
38:12of the Chinese people
38:14as deeply embedded in jade culture.
38:31Also inspired by ancient Chinese jade discs,
38:35the concentric medals
38:37of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics
38:40voiced again such long-cherished dreams
38:44of harmony and unity for all.
39:01The pure and transparent jade
39:03is the essence of heaven, earth, mountains, and the moon.
39:07In the footsteps of Chinese civilization,
39:10there is always a beautiful jade
39:12that is the symbol of the moon.
39:14The jade's etiquette, virtue,
39:16spirit, and style
39:18show the Chinese people's
39:20unwavering and unyielding character.
39:23Today's jade replicas
39:26are still deeply rooted
39:28in the soil of Chinese civilization
39:30and become irreplaceable cultural heritages
39:32for every Chinese person.
39:55¶¶
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