"It is soft, smooth and shining - like intelligence. Its edges seem sharp but do not cut - like justice. It hangs down to the ground -like humility. When struck, it gives a clear, ringing sound - like music. The strains in it are not hidden and add to its beauty - like truthfulness. It has brightness - like heaven. Its firm substance is born of the mountains and the waters like the earth."
This paragon so eulogized in verse by Confucius is that wondrously fabled and beautiful substance known as jade.
Ever since the Shang dynasty (1766-1122 B.C.), the Chinese have revered jade as a reflection of wealth and authority and as an object of beauty. Out of this regard was born an unexcelled skill in carving the versa tile precious stone.
Jade describes either nephrite or jadeite, known as true jade, and is composed of several minerals. It is smooth in texture and exceedingly tough. Colors range from off-white to dark green. There is sometimes an amberish or reddish tint, and the stone is translucent with a dull luster. Authentic jade is cool to the touch and never transparent. The wax-like surface gives off few reflections. After polishing, jadeite takes on a glassy luster, while nephrite has an oily sheen.
The word "jade" may derive from the Spanish ijado. Spanish conquerors of Mexico and Peru called the stone piedra de ijado, literally "loin stone," because it was believed to be a cure for renal colic. The Chinese know it as yu.
The wide range of colors found in jade is attributed to the varying proportions of minerals. Pure jadeite or nephrite should be white. The presence of chromium gives green color to jadeite. It is iron that makes nephrite green.
Standards of judging jade long have been disputed. Modem jade fanciers claim that the one infallible method is diffraction X-ray. In the Ming dynasty (1368 1644 A.D.), it was contended that only green and white stones could be considered true jade. Those of other colors were called fu yu or "false jade."
During the Tsin dynasty (265 420 A.D.), the Jade Records classified jade into nine colors and their combinations: black as in deep water, blue as in indigo foam, green as in fresh moss, emerald as in kingfishers' feathers, yellow as in steamed chestnuts, vermillion as in cinnabar, purple as in congealed blood, jet black as in ink, white as mutton fat and mottled with red and white streaks.
A more recent account says good jade comes in these colors: ruby red, chicken-blood red, cinnabar red, cherry red, date red, parrot green, pine-needle green, gingko green, asmanthus fragrus yellow, sunflower yellow, chestnut yellow, wine yellow, fishmaw white, chicken bone white, rice white, pool-water gray-blue, crab-shell gray-blue, willow green, bamboo leaf green, eggplant purple, palm hair purple-, bean paste mauve, pure varnish black and old ink black.
The general consensus has been that pure colors are superior. Mottled and mixed colors are less precious.
Jade is one of the toughest stones known, ranking not far behind the diamond. This results from the interlacing of the constituent fibers. Fifty tons of pressure is required to crush some large pieces, while others can be broken up only by heating and then plunging them into cold water. Even with the elaborate equipment and improved abrasives of modem times, a single cut through a one-foot cube of jade would take several weeks.
Jade's durability and special ability to retain a keen edge resulted in its use in the weapons and tools of Neolithic China. A vast store of jade chisels, adzes, axes, knives, spearheads and daggers have been unearthed at archaeological sites in north China. Jade was also used in astronomical instruments. These consisted of a rotating annular disc with serrated edges set atop a sighting object for observation of the constellations.
Some tools and weapons had no functional use but served as burial objects. Many old pieces of jade, turned brown with age and contact with the earth have been excavated in ancient graveyards.
Jade was valued by the Chinese for its musical qualities. Cut into various shapes and suspended from the ceiling, the translucent pieces of jade reflected the light and produced a musical effect when struck. Paper-thin pieces tinkled delicately in the breeze and the vibrations lingered in the air. Jade was used in bells and musical instruments.
The ancient Chinese endowed jade with mystic powers when they used it in rituals and ceremonies. In official circles, jade was used as a token of sovereign power and feudal rank. In rituals, it was taken as the perfect result of amalgamation of heaven and earth. Jade was pure and noble and therefore an appropriate material for use in worship. The Book of Rites of the Chou dynasty (1122-256 B.C.) said:
"Six articles made of jade are regarded as lucky charms to be used for sacrifice to the gods of heaven, earth and the four directions. They are grayish-blue jade made into perforated round discs (hsuan chi) for heaven, yellow jade in square cylinders (tsung) for earth, green jade tab lets for the east, red jade scepters for the south, white tiger shaped jade for the west and black semi-circular jade for the north."
Jade or a near relative of jade was believed to have medicinal uses. In this the Chinese were joined by the Mayans of Yucatan, who mixed powdered jade with water as a panacea. It was supposed to strengthen the body and prevent fatigue. Taken just before death, powdered jade was credited with delaying decomposition.
Throughout the ages, however, jade's most common use has been decorative. Pendants and amulets carved of jade in the Chou dynasty are still being un earthed, and jewelry is still the principal finished product. China does not produce jade. Even in ancient times, jade was imported from Turkestan and later from Burma. But China has always been thought of as the home of jade because her craftsmen have chiseled and carved the stone into articles of such exquisite loveliness. Other traditional Chinese arts have spread to neighboring countries, but jade craftsmanship has remained almost exclusively Chinese.
Jade workers of ancient times were so skillful and so original that duplicated pieces are rare. The cutting was considered just as important as the raw mineral itself. A piece of jade was not qualified for admiration before it had received the attention of the lapidary. Cutters first studied the rough piece of jade to determine what it should become. That decided, the genius of the cutter went to work to produce a work of art.
Some masterpieces have achieved international renown. One necklace of brilliant emerald jade contains 125 beads totaling 304 carats. The beads range from a sixth of an inch to a half inch in diameter. The highest sales price to date is US$80,000.
Another unique creation is a vase and chain in a rare yellowish green shade. The 14-inch vase dangles from a chain of 38 variously shaped links. All are carved from a solid block of jade. The piece recently was sold for US$35,000.
Jade is treasured more than ever today. The precious mineral is part of many dowries. Jade ornaments constitute a share of the richest heritage, and the most beautiful pieces pass from generation to generation, never leaving the family.
The cool, deep beauty of jade is a thing of joy forever for those who have come to know and love it.
Asian Bulletin - Sino-Saudi Bridge
To the people of the Republic of China, the 2,345-meter Sino Saudi Bridge spanning the Choshui River in central Taiwan means more than a US$18 million link in their US$l.24 billion North South Freeway. The bridge is also a symbol of close and cordial relations between their country and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The Sino-Saudi Bridge was so named by the Chinese government to show its appreciation for two freeway loans totaling US$80 million extended by the Saudi Fund for Development. The first loan of US$30 million was granted in August, 1974, over a 15-year period without interest. The second loan, totaling US$50 million and carrying 4 percent interest over a 10-year period, was granted in March, 1976, a month before construction of the bridge started.
The Sino-Saudi Bridge was the last part of the freeway project to be completed. Longest of the freeway's numerous bridges, it has eight lanes.
Construction was completed last September, almost three months ahead of schedule. Its opening on October 31 marked start of through traffic on the 373-kilometer freeway.
The inauguration ceremony at the northern end of the bridge was attended by 2,000 persons, including a four-member Saudi delegation headed by Dr. Nasser Mohamman al-Salloum, deputy minister of communications, who described the bridge as one of friendship.
" We sincerely hope the bridge will become a symbol of the friendly relations between the people of Saudi Arabia and the people of China," he said.
Friendly ties between the Republic of China and Saudi Arabia can be traced back to 1946, when an amity treaty was signed. In May, 1971, King Faisal paid a state visit to President Chiang Kai-shek. The two leaders pledged to strengthen economic, trade and cultural ties and to fight for international justice.
Ties were further cemented when President Yen Chia-kan visited Saudi Arabia at the invitation of King Khaled Bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud. (Han Nai-kuo)
Central Monthly - My trip to the U.S.
After 10 months in the U.S., I have come back to our free fatherland, the Republic of China. It is gratifying to find our father land still safe and sound, happy, peaceful and prosperous. Only in my own country can I have perfect peace of mind and kindliness and mutual understanding among friends.
On the other hand, only by leaving our fatherland for a while can we realize the charms of our country and the peace and prosperity of our society. We shall be instantaneously flushed with rage if someone insults her; we shall rise up in her defense if someone misunderstands her; and we shall be beside ourselves with joy and gratitude when someone praises her. She belongs to us.
I am sure I am not the only person who has patriotic feelings while abroad. Many Chinese graduate students and overseas businessmen share such sentiments. I have seen patriotic Chinese in the Bay Area of Berkeley, Oakland, San Francisco, San Mateo, San Jose, etc., and especially at the University of California at Berkeley, where I did my research.
Celebration of our National Day is usual at home, but not so much so in Berkeley. According to Wu Chien-kuo, who was responsible for the arrangement of an October 8 celebration, such observances often met with malicious harassment by pro-Maoist leftists from Hong Kong.
The parade attracted the attention of the American mass media. TV networks were on hand and covered the speeches. Newspapers reported the parade in detail. Our landlord gave us the clippings the next day.
On college campuses, the influence of leftist organizations is apparently declining. Although they set up some registration desks in the square in front of the Sproul Administration Building, not many signers showed up.
UC Berkeley was the center of anti-war and anti-government movements launched by the leftists, but with the disastrous debacle of the Vietnam War, the ideology of the UC Berkeley students has undergone a conspicuous change. They seem to have gradually realized the true nature of the Communists, especially of the Peiping regime. The English People's Pictorial magazine and the Chinese People's Daily are on the shelves of the library untouched. A student told me that he and many friends admired the tenacity and perseverance of the ROC. I told him of the Chinese spiritual force and moral courage.
Another student, a staff writer of the Daily Californian, Danelle Morton, who visited Taiwan in late March, wrote in the paper on April 27, 1978: "No one denies that Taiwan has made great strides in improving the life of its people. By attracting much foreign capital and industrializing at a rapid pace, the economy has grown by 10 per cent each year. Unemployment and inflation remain low."
The decline of Communist influence in the school can be attributed to realization of the aggressive nature of both the Chinese and the Soviet Communist regimes and understanding of the internal defects of Marxist theory.