The origin of the word "jade"
The ancestors of Kunlun Mountain discovered Meiyu. What was its name at that time? Because there is no written record, it is impossible to know now. There are jade characters in Oracle Bone Inscriptions of Shang Dynasty in Yin Ruins. It can be seen that jade was collectively called jade at that time, and the beautiful jade in Kunlun was also named after jade. In the Twenty-Five History, from Sima Qian's Historical Records to the Qing Dynasty's Historical Manuscripts, there are records about the beautiful jade in Kunlun, which are all called "jade". For example, "Historical Records" said: "Han made the source of the river poor, and the source of the river originated in Khotan, and its mountains were full of jade." In the theory of jade virtue put forward by Guan Zi and Confucius during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, Kunlun jade is used to refer to moral character, including "nine virtues" and "eleven virtues".
The origin of the name "Zhen Yu"
Jade is a general term. There are many kinds of jade in China, which are easy to be confused, so the name of "true jade" came into being, that is, the beautiful jade in Kunlun (that is, Hetian jade) is called "true jade" and other varieties are called "non-true jade". In the Song Dynasty, Zhang Bangji's Notes on Mozhuang recorded the description of Hetian jade in the name of "real jade": "Its color is warm and moist, and it is often stained with fat. Just knock it. If the golden plate rings, it will never return, and the lingering sound will be far and deep, slowly exhausting. " According to historical records, ten years after Tianbao of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, it was stipulated that all ceremonial jade should be "real jade", that is, Hetian jade.
The Evolution of the Name of "Jade"
In the history of China, the beautiful jade produced in Kunlun was named after the place of origin. It became Kunshan jade in the Warring States Period, Yutian jade in the Jin Dynasty and Hetian jade in the Qing Dynasty. 1959 Chinese characters were simplified and renamed Hotan jade, which has been used ever since.
During the Warring States Period and the Qin Dynasty, the beautiful jade produced in Kunlun Mountain was called "the jade of Kunshan", and it was named after Kunlun Mountain, the jade-producing mountain.
The name of "Jade and Jade" is named after the jade-producing country in the ancient western regions. When this name began remains to be studied. The earlier ancient documents are the Book of Jin and Shu Qi, and the Book of Jin in the Southern and Northern Dynasties, which said: "Your wife, your wife, your wife is attached to jade." Later, the name was handed down. For example, Li Shizhen's Compendium of Materia Medica in the Ming Dynasty said: "Jade is the most expensive place to produce jade." Yutian is one of the famous powers in the ancient western regions. The establishment of this country is full of magical legends. From the historical records to the Qing manuscripts, there are records of domestic jade in Khotan, and all previous dynasties asked this country for jade. Among them, "Jade Jade" coincides with the local jade. Yu Yi said that Hetian jade was named after its jade production, so it was called Yucheng or Yu Yi.
In the history of more than 2000 years, Khotan has experienced many ups and downs. By the time of Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty, Hetian jade was changed to Hetian jade, and Hetian jade was changed to Hetian jade accordingly. During the Qianlong period, Junggar was pacified, Hotan was unified, and Minister of Hotan Affairs was established. He praised Hetian jade many times in his poems. For example, the poem "Royal and Hetian Jade" said: "Hetian Jade was once in Hetian Jade, named Jade."
1959, simplified Chinese characters, changed Hotan to Hotan. Therefore, the name "Hetian Jade" has been used for more than 340 years since the Kangxi period.
There is an evolution process from "the jade in Kunshan" to "the jade in Khotan" to "the jade in Khotan" and "Hetian jade", which has a history of more than 2,000 years. The origin of Hetian jade's name is the condensation of the wisdom and national spirit of our ancestors.