Tengchong Jade Carving [Yunnan Tengchong Specialty]

What is Tengchong Jade Carving? Authentic Yunnan Tengchong specialty: Tengchong jade carving

Content summary:Do you want to know what Tengchong jade carving is? This article is a detailed introduction toYunnan Tengchong specialty - Tengchong Jade Carving. It was compiled by the editorial team of China Specialty Network, who reviewed and collected relevant information on Tengchong Jade Carving. The full text takes about 6 minutes to read, mainly including the basic introduction of Tengchong Jade Carving and the product characteristics of Tengchong Jade Carving? How did the history of Tengchong jade carving come about? The awards and honors of Tengchong Jade Carving

Introduction to Tengchong Jade Carving

Tengchong is located in the western part of Yunnan Province, and is a historic border town. It is a well-known jade mall and a leisure paradise with green mountains and clear waters. It is known as the "Number One City on the Extreme Border" by Xu Xiake

Tengchong has a rich jade culture, and hundreds of years of jade processing and trade have formed a brilliant jewelry jade culture in Tengchong. During the long-term development process, Tengchong jade carving has formed its own artistic style and unique skills. In 2021, Tengchong jade carving was included in the fifth batch of representative projects of national intangible cultural heritage

The traditional craftsmanship process of Tengchong jade carving includes seven steps: sand washing, jade decoding, jade grinding, punching, weaving edges, carving, and polishing. There are dozens of handicrafts, including ring noodles, chicken hearts, gallbladder pendants, zodiac signs, bracelets, Buddha statues, seals, dragon and phoenix plaques, the Eight Immortals, the Hidden Eight Immortals, finger carrying, jade hairpins, ear pieces, flower, bird, fish, insect and animal patterned pendants, and handmade items. Jade is mainly green in color, with a combination of yellow, black, red, white and other colors. Compared with modern mass-produced jade carvings, the unique feature of Tengchong jade carvings lies in the use of traditional handmade craftsmanship, with a shape that fits the shape and takes meaning

Tengchong jade carving has a rich variety of shapes and expressions. Jade processing emphasizes the grinding process and is made using traditional procedures. Each step of a jade piece, from disassembly, grinding, fine grinding to polishing, requires constant replacement of various types of tools to achieve delicate craftsmanship requirements. The tools and production methods used are very consistent with the jade carving techniques recorded in the book "Tiangong Kaiwu" by Yingxing of the Ming and Song dynasties: "When jade is first cut, iron is melted into a circular disk, sand is filled in a basin of water, the foot steps on the circular disk to rotate, and sand is added to cut the jade intermittently." This fully confirms that Tengchong's jade carving has always retained traditional tools and craftsmanship processes. In the 1970s and 1980s, Tengchong jade carving technology was improved and updated, using electrified machinery and artificially synthesized diamond powder tools, which increased the output and production speed of jade carving, but some processes still used traditional techniques

During its long-term development, Tengchong jade carving has trained and cultivated a large number of skilled and capable processing and sales teams, forming its own artistic style and unique skills that are closely related to people's daily lives and reflect high historical, artistic, and craft value. It is an important part of Tengyue culture and has now become one of the pillar industries of Tengchong County

Tengchong jade carving has exquisite composition, fine carving, smooth lines, rigorous structure, beautiful shape, fresh elegance, and a variety of things. It is the most outstanding characteristic folk craft of Tengchong, with high artistic value

Tengchong had jade carving techniques in the mid Ming Dynasty, and the tools and methods used for carving were consistent with the introduction in the book "Tiangong Kaiwu" by Song Yingxing of the Ming Dynasty. From the "Cuisheng Stone" in the travelogue of Xu Xiake to the "Tengyue Local Chronicles" during the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, "making court beads, bracelets, hairpins, and various toys, the sound of polishing reaches day and night, and it runs through the streets. Hundreds of people have achieved success in their homes, and thousands of households are scattered in villages." From stubborn stones to exquisite jade artifacts, every moment and chisel in the hands of craftsmen is the century long journey of Tengchong jade carving

Awards and honors for Tengchong jade carving

Tengchong is a well-known jade jewelry distribution center and the birthplace of the jade carving industry, with a history of more than 500 years. It has rich connotations, wide functions, exquisite craftsmanship, and brilliant culture, and enjoys a certain reputation in the national jade carving industry. On May 24, 2021, Tengchong Jade Carving was announced by the State Council as the fifth batch of national intangible cultural heritage representative projects