As we stepped into the Qinhai Provincial Museum, the display of ancient artifacts captivated us, but one item immediately drew our attention—a small jade cong that resembles those from the Liangzhu culture.
It felt oddly familiar.
The official description states that this piece dates back 2,000 to 3,000 years, during the Bronze Age, measuring 7.9 cm in height, 5.2 cm in width, and 5.2 cm in thickness. Our recognition of the jade cong is tied to the Liangzhu culture’s jade artifacts, which emerged around 5,000 years ago, with the jade cong being the most iconic representation. This vessel, characterized by a square exterior and round interior, reflects the ancient belief in a square earth and round heavens. Liangzhu jade cons were particularly abundant, with various shapes and sizes, often adorned with intricate carvings featuring exquisite craftsmanship.
The “Jade Riches of China” exhibition at the Nanjing Museum once showcased many of these remarkable artifacts, highlighting the significance of Liangzhu jade objects, including several jade cons that were star exhibits.
Currently, the Qinghai Provincial Museum’s “Qinghai Historical Artifacts Exhibition” features over 600 items, including 152 first-level cultural relics. During the early Bronze Age, the Qijia culture produced ceremonial jades like jade bi, three-pronged bi, jade rings, jade yue, and jade knives, yet there was a regional emphasis on “valuing bi over cong.”
At that time, jade ceremonial vessels held great social significance as primitive religious rites evolved. The emergence of these vessels was influenced by cultures from the Central Plains, such as the Taosi culture and Erlitou culture, indicating that around 4,000 years ago, there was significant interaction and mutual influence between the Qijia culture and Central Plains civilizations.
Jade ceremonial tools from the Central Plains were exported to the Qijia culture region, while jade materials from the northwest, represented by the Qijia culture, flowed into Central Plains society, marking the beginning of an early jade road.
Scholars agree that during the Neolithic period, the Northern region was represented by the Hongshan jade culture, while Liangzhu jade culture symbolized the South. Ultimately, these two streams merged into the central narrative of Chinese jade culture, which has remained unbroken since ancient times.
However, this jade cong is not particularly representative of the Qijia culture. A four-holed jade knife in the Qinghai Provincial Museum better exemplifies this cultural heritage. Measuring 54.5 cm in length, 1.0 cm in thickness, and 10.3 cm in width at its end, it features four neatly arranged circular perforations near the back edge, with no signs of use, and its surface is polished to perfection.
Jade knives are common in Qijia culture, available in single, double, triple, and quadruple-hole forms, varying in size and quality, yet all showcasing exquisite craftsmanship. The complexity involved in creating such a large and thin jade knife is remarkable.
Of course, in ancient times, ordinary people would not have had access to jade knives, suggesting that this particular piece served as a symbol of power or was used in ritualistic contexts.
“Recently uncovered archaeological evidence from the Haizang site, Huangniangniangtai site, and Lajia site within the Qijia culture suggests that the jade materials and scraps found there date to the same period as those from the Xichengyi culture site. This indicates that between 4,000 and 3,000 years ago, significant jade mining, transportation, and processing activities occurred along the Hexi Corridor. The jade culture in the Gansu-Qinghai region was introduced from the eastern and Central Plains areas, promoting the development and utilization of local jade resources,” said Li Jiying, an associate curator at the Qinghai Provincial Museum.
Interestingly, our hometown’s Tongxiang Museum in Zhejiang also houses a jade knife from the Neolithic Liangzhu culture.
The story of a jade cong and a jade knife reveals a rich history of cultural exchange along the Yangtze River, from its upper reaches to its lower regions, tracing connections that have endured since ancient times. However, we can’t help but wonder how, thousands of years ago, ancient peoples communicated effectively despite limited transportation and ensured the accuracy and continuity of shared information. Such cultural exchanges, spanning vast distances, ultimately enriched the diverse regions along the Yangtze, fostering a vibrant and expansive culture along the riverbanks.
