Běijīng: Jade Shop

Tuesday, 23rd April, 2013.

Flowering trees softened the view of the traffic as we set off in the bus from our hotel.

 

Galaxy Soho:  “The gracefully merging dynamic form of the architectural complex creates a fluid and continuous internal space while establishing a striking and monumental presence along Beijing’s East 2nd Ring Road.”  So there.   http://galaxysoho.sohochina.com/en

 

Rickshaw pedallers wait to take tourists on hútòng (narrow alleyways) tours.

“The spirit and soul of the city lives and breathes among these charming and ragged lanes where a warm sense of community and hospitality survives.  Criss-crossing chunks of Běijīng within the Second Ring Rd, the hútòng link up into a huge and enchanting warren of one-storey dwellings and historic courtyard homes” (Lonely Planet).

 

We arrived at the jade factory.  Jade carving seems to be a painstaking and hazardous procedure.

 

This lady was carving balls within balls within balls.  Jade is harder than glass, so I was concerned that she was not wearing a mask, and neither of the workers wore gloves.

 

Jade is considered by the Chinese to be the most important type of raw material in existence, even more so than gold. That's because it takes many years to find, transport, and develop into jewellery and other items.

 

We learnt that the Chinese prefer pale jade to the dark green that I have always associated with jade.

 

This reminded me of the exquisite Jade Buddha we had seen in Shànghǎi, a perfect example of pale jade.

Picture from http://www.mir.com.my/leofoo/Thai-amulets/Buddhist_Landmarks/China/YUFOSI/yufo_B.jpg

 

I don’t know if all of these objects were jade, but they were certainly very beautiful:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Detail from the screen above.

Another detail from the screen above.

 

 

A pumpkin tree?  The marked price of this one was US$23,836.  In these shops, they would always offer discounted prices from the marked price “just for you” (i.e. everyone) but we were happy just to window shop.

 

Pat and a warrior – this one in jade rather than terracotta.

 

Reassurance for western shoppers.  Just to let you know that tis one isn’t a hole in the ground.  It might even have toilet paper!