Jadeite city - Yunnan Tengchung

The called and samll Tan Chon County locating at the southern east border of Mainland China neighbouring to Burma, since its properous antique jade trading business it has been deeply connected with jadeite for thousand years and hence named "Jadeite City". Along with its history there were many tales being handed down as "Tan Chon ---The birthplace of jade" early in the busy time of the beginning of the Chin Dynasty.

The legent of jadeite

The so-called of Jadeite (fai 'tsuei) comes from a bird's name, the male feather with vivid red color (fai) and female with green ('tsuei), for their similar colors presentation.

The Jadeite is categorized to be the "jadeite" with its chemical composition known as " xxxxxxx", a menber in jade family. The prime quality of jadeite can be taken as precious as dimand.

Its impressed green color is varitied with the color gradation presentation. Like the the gem of Emarald, is also a very precious material in producing jade staff and decorations.

According to the historical registration the emperor Hsue Shi once owned two jadeite watermelon, it can be seen green for the rind and red for the interior fresh with even spoting with black dots as the seeds.

The very piece of work was skillfully sculptured by utilizing the origianl color presentation of the nature material. The price was as high up to 500 million silver coin at that time. But with regret, it was robbed by a warlord and sold to the Philadelphia Museum later on.

The route of jade

Since Han Dynasty the town of Tan Chon was an major site in trading with Burma. At that time a route from Szechwan, Chen Du getting pass Tan Chon to reach Burma and stretch the way would get to the mid-western Asia, formed a silk road. This southern-west silk road was 200-400 years earlier than the northern one.

Along with this route there were innumerous caravan going to and fro constantly streaming for trading the jade material. There were two major routes all crossing the Tan Chon town.

During the 500 years form Min Dynasty to the end year of the War of Resistance Against Japan (1937-1945) the jade was almost transported into China via these two routes.

Those of involving trading groups evenly acted as vast resourced empires. In this period of time it was more reasonable to name it as The Road of Jade than Silk Road.

The introduction of Jadeite into China.

According to the booked the jadeite had been firstly introduced into China since Han Dynasty (A.C 97) as a tribute by neighbouring tribes in China southern-west area and not as a merchandise for trading.

This unique "green stone" was taken as a highly precious jewel for decoration and evenly formed a style for symbolizing the ranking of government officers.

Till the mid-Ming Dynasty, the emperor missioned officers to govern the Tan Chon area as the teritory and to collect jadeite and gem stone in the documentary registration.

As the cooperation of the government and private there were quantities being traded into China. The major goods being marketed were jade and gem stone, the cotton was the second. Once the a great deal of jade stone was sent to the market in Tan Chon, one part of it were processed into works the others were transported to Da Li and Qun Ming to be dealt and then distribute to whole China.

Before the Tan Chon was occupied by Japan in the War of Resitance Against Japan the market here was very prosperious. There were places in town assembled many jewelery dealers and hundreds of shops.

All kinds of jade, jadeite, jem stone shown a dazzling array of beautiful exhibits and known as "jewel street". The horse droppings in the stable outside the town left by the passing caravan evenly would pile up to sink the people's feet and not so hard to imagine that the town was titled "the second Shaing Hai" for its livingly market and formed a big city in the southern-west of Yunnan Province.

The Chinese mining in Burma.

As to the high value of the jade staff stimulated the local civilians surging into Burma to make excavation for jade mine. Since the Ming and Chin Dynasty to 1950' around, there were approximately tens thousand people engaged in the line.

An American writer described the situation in his book "The Chinese in the southern-east of Asia" as "The coming of the Chinese mammoth investing dealers had greatly improved the excavating scale and technique causing the increase of jade and gem stone bulk mining.

Thus it can be seen as the five thousand Chinese names of dealers and workers were craved on a stela for commemorating in a temple in the ancient capital in Burma.

The famous "Chi Lo jade" & "Family of Duan's jade"

The jade mines were scattered around in the stretched coteau and deep forest in the northern-west part of geographic site of Burma. The dependence on experience and luck in gathering jade stone, especially the ferfect jumbo mass of stone, is almost an accidential occasion.

Some got nothing at all but a dream. Some were lucky enough to find an invaluable gains and thus changed his whole life destiny to be rich. Therefore, there were many tales which always made people astonished for their experience at either good or bad.

In a story a man called Yue was sent to be a worker in a mining field when he was 14 years old. For 18 years he had worked there hard and finally his employer un-expectedly paid him 19 mass of jade stones as the wage.

As he decided to end this such a harsh life, then brought these stones to Tan Chon to open it for jade material inside. Unfortunately, he found no jade existing at all but worthless mass in the first 17 stone and then passed out at once when he knew the results.

The stone opening master bought last stone as having pity on him and paid some money for living. But incredibly, the supreme quality of jadeite appeared after the last one was open and made the master a richman. With grief, the Yue come back to his old job in the mining field.

An even more unbelievable instance, a man maned Guan, he had never gotten any precious stone since worked in the mining field from his 20 to 70 years old.

One day he sat on a mountain crying sadly thinking about his home town far away. Before coming home, he pissed on a rock aside and found a flash of green color coming out of the rock flushing by urine.

As he took a deeply look into it and realized that it was a full and vivid green color of jadeite. Consequently, he became very rich at his old age and back home with prize.

The transaction of jade

In doing the jade business, it charaterizes to be rich over night but the same to be poorly off under the extremely unstable circumstance. The raw stones of jade were not of nuiform size.Sometimes it can be seen a glimpes of green sense on the surface and pay a lot of maney to purchase when estimates to be an axcellent quality inside.

But with disappointment after ripping open of it. On the contrary, a rock with unseemly surface would be unexpectedly surrounding the nobility.

The legend said above of "Chi Lo jade" & "Family of Duan's jade" are the most dramatic stories which have been told for generations. During the years of Chia Chin in Chin Dynasty, a merchant named Ing Wun Da in Chi Lo county got a raw rock from the mining field.

It showed the dark black and unpleasant outlook. All jade masters commented it to be an inferior staff and was discarded in the stable. Through years after years, this "rock" being polished by the trampping of the horses.

One day while Ing went to the stable for a horse to go out. A beam of sunshine happened lighting up on the rock and reflected spots of beautiful green light.

Then found that it was a supreme quality of jadeite material inside after carefully examining and having it to be made for a lantern and displayed it in a night fair in the temple. It caused a great sensation and response from the viewers while the awesome green light shining out.

Ing then sent this lantern to the provincial govenor in Quan Ming as a gift and titled to be an officer in return. Later on he had the remains to be made for hundreds pairs of ear rings. When people put it on the ear, the beautiful green light may brilliantly shining on the ear lobe. That's the origin for the jadeite of "Chi Lo jade".

During the years of Ming Guo, a jade dealer named Duan Shen Chzai in Chi Lo county bought a 300 kg raw jade rock form a mining field. As to the surface was covered by white sandy layer none of the buyers would offer their price for having no favor on it. He then frustrated and left it in the courtyard.

After a long time a faint green light appeared from the rock while it was trampped down a piece of outer flake by customers' horses and this caused Duan's attention and had it to be processed. Amazingly coming out was the supreme vivid green jadeite!

Afterward there were many bangles being made. With careful examination, those of finished works impressively emanated a verdant like streaming in the clear water. Since then, "Family of Duan' jade" was famous from all over the world.

Generally the outer layer of the raw jadeite rock appears colors of yellow, auburn and black with formed colors and lines affected by weathering. There is no any direct way to see what's the possession inside of the rock except open it.

So the colors, thickness, delicacy, weathering lines of outer layer were the basis in judging the color and quality of the jade fresh existing inside and hence being considered as a sophisticated and special knowhow. The quality of jadeite was so-called in Chinese as "Di Czue" or "Shuei Tou".

Commonly, the best one is known as "glass possession" (transparency). The indication of "three parts in ten of transparency -- San Fern Suei in Chinese" (about 6mm) is the fine catgory. But it needs a highly mastered skill to recognize the reality. The reliability by estimation is not always coped with the existings.

The rock gambling in Tan Chun

It's just a gambling game while trading with raw jade rock. There were two lines in engaging with the business. One is taking the rocks without examining man-made openning (the buzzword of "Kai Chuan" in Chinese) only by "seeing estimation" with experience form the shown of the outer layer.

The another is by estimation through a tiny man-made "window" to gamble the rock for excellent inner. Both said are depended on individual's judgement, experience, eyesight, guts and luck. Just like the Chinese saying "man's execution, heaven's willingness".

While trading, the seller will display the rock to the buyer for examining its presentation and then begin to bid and bargain for the price of which would be satisfied with both sides. Usually this would cause people gethering round to have a look only for making merry.

Easily be imagined, there must be some guys among for helping to artificially force up prices with sellers. Once the dealt being made the cash is paid right away. Sometime the buyer would like to prove the made decision is correct and open the rock at the very moment. And then the result is clearly revealed.

A vulgar auburn rock sometime called for ten thousands once being opened, it would probably be priceless or nothing but a plain rock in seconds. The instant win or loss, the temptation of fortune and destine, the exciting exploration are closely stimulating the crowded masters scrambling for the game, bringing about a trendency and a war without bullet.

In border, there is no man with gem-blinded but illiteracy from child to older. It's such a recondite and valuable knowledge that leads all the people here to study for engaging in as a preparation at any moment.

The process to the rock

The rock material mining is the first step to make a delicated craft and then following the transportation, transaction, cut opening and handiwork. The process for handiwork is much more complex and delicate than rock's mining.

Ingenious and detailed presentation of the craft is also the key point of valuation to the workpiece. A master's advise of "more handwork, less cutting" indicates that the integrity of the jade fresh inside of the rock is largely kept as possible by taking out the futile part little by little and then the valuation of it can be gradually determined. It's no need to take any effort if it simply is a nothing but useless.

The processing technique in Tan Chon is pretty good. In the years of emperor Chia Chin in Chin Dynasty, an officer from Tan Chon got a jadeite raw rock with green. red, yellow and white in it and had it to be processed by a highly skillful craftman. This craftman did nothing but hunting and fishing everyday for having inspiration from the nature.

Afterward, he took the effect of the color occupations and three years craving it into a parrot with transparantly redish mouth, brillant green feather, yellowish claws standing on a white chain. It became a very famous work of art for its unique and excellent designation and exceedingly awesome handiwork.

The outstanding pass in Tan Chun

Tan Chon is the first transportation stop after the jade rock being digged out for transaction. Hence it is not only a major market, meanwhile, also a processing workshop.

According to the registration: The merchant took in the bare rocks, the workman in Tan Chon grinded the colorful jade fresh out, the skilled craftman craved it into crafts and pendants by means of the presentation of color and nervure stretching.

In the years of 1930', an English man Ford traveled around Tan Chon and booked: The called jade street lining up with many jade workshops, even in mid-night the noise of working machines still passing through windows to my bed."

as a description of how busy the market was. In history, the handicraft sector was the major business and media of which made the Tan Chon to be so prosperous while even though locating at the border.

A document mentioned: There were shops of jewellery-14, rock opener-33, hole punching-27, sculpturer-22, jade piece slicing-31, small pendant making-37."

In that time over 3000 workman were living in town and consequently formed professional streets of jade. Additionally, "There were others of thirty some of scattering around the places of Chi Lo, Ku Chia Zai and Ma Chan etc., most of them were small piece makers.

The jade business in Tan Chun is an indicator to the whole jade market. The jewellery, in Arabian tale of Alibaba, shows that it is not only a symbolization of wealth and power, also the synonym of disaster and death, a trigger to many of sadness. Those of instances of extorting it by trick or force cover the dazzling and shining instinct of the jewel with a strong rammish smell of blood.

Nowadays, the jewellery is never being a patent article to the noble society, instead a plain decoration to the public. Along with the social development, rising up of living standard, renewing of clothing, the accouterment of precious metal, are driving to a development to jewellery, the low leveling jade to the higher.

Through the depressed days in the War of Resistance against Japan, this jadeite town of Tan Chon have been recovered to the prosperity as it was before the War.

Because of the trading of jadeite and jewellery, the towns of Wuan Din and Zuei Li, cross neighbouring to Burma by a river, are rapidly rising and developing up with establishing the jewel distributing market and trading center which makes the jewellery business in this insignificant border come back to its glory time.