| Unlike the United States which is 200 plus years | | | | the first Chinese dictionary, known as Shuo Wen |
| old, China is an ancient country and civilization. This | | | | Jie Zi, in around 100 AD. There are two types of |
| has led to long standing rules of conduct in society | | | | jade: soft jade, known as nephrite, which is native |
| that are of great interest.China is an ancient | | | | to China, and hard jade (jadeite) which was |
| country, with thousands of years of history which | | | | imported from Burma starting in the 1200's. Jade |
| lay a rich basis for the lives of its inhabitants | | | | is important in China not only because of its |
| today. While some of the ancient Chinese myths | | | | beauty, but also for its virtue and cultural |
| and cultural traditions have been forgotten or are | | | | significance. Confucius said that jade had 11 |
| no longer observed, many of them are still | | | | virtues, some of which include the fact that it |
| remembered and incorporated into everyday life. | | | | stands for beauty, purity and grace. The Chinese |
| Taking a look into the cultural traditions of China | | | | character for jade, Yu, is often used in names |
| can reveal a lot about the way that the people | | | | and sayings to connote beauty.Another of the |
| live.One of the most interesting bits of Chinese | | | | many Chinese cultural traditions is the bamboo |
| lore can be found in what is known as the Jade | | | | culture. |
| Culture. Jade is a stone that was first identified in | | | | |