“A gentleman never parts with jade without reason.” This ancient adage, passed down for millennia, not only reveals the exalted status of jade in the hearts of Chinese people but also uncovers its profound significance as a carrier of etiquette. As an ancient jade collector, whenever I caress those warm and simple jade artifacts, I seem to hear the echoes of history, feeling the deep emotions and rigorous norms that our ancestors endowed upon jade.
Chinese jade culture has a long and rich history, and its etiquette connotations have permeated the entire history of civilization. From the jade bi and cong unearthed from Neolithic Hongshan and Liangzhu cultural sites, we can glimpse the rudimentary forms of jade as ritual objects for communicating with heaven and earth and offering sacrifices to deities. At that time, jade was not an ordinary ornament but a sacred object for tribal leaders and shamans to communicate with spirits and assert authority. The jade cong of the Liangzhu culture, square on the outside and round on the inside, symbolized the cosmic view of “heaven is round, earth is square.” The mysterious human-beast mask patterns carved on it were a concrete manifestation of power and belief. Wearing or using these jade objects was itself a solemn ritual.
During the Zhou Dynasty, with the flourishing of “ritual and music civilization,” jade etiquette was systematized and standardized to an unprecedented height. The “Rites of Zhou · Spring Officer · Grand Master of Ceremonies” clearly records “using jade to make six vessels to ritualize heaven, earth, and the four directions,” referring to the use of six types of jade—bi, cong, gui, zhang, hu, and huang—to offer sacrifices. This was not only a regulation of material but also strict requirements for form, use, and wearing methods. For example, the jade gui worn by the Son of Heaven symbolized supreme power; when feudal lords paid homage, they wore jade huang and zhang of different forms and sizes according to their rank to show their status. This ritual system of “clarifying virtue with jade and distinguishing ranks with jade” made jade a symbol of social order. Wearing jade was no longer arbitrary but followed strict hierarchical systems and behavioral norms.
During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, Confucius endowed jade with profound philosophical connotations of virtue. He likened the eleven physical attributes of jade—its warmth, toughness, clarity, and integrity—to the gentleman's benevolence, wisdom, righteousness, propriety, music, loyalty, trustworthiness, heaven, earth, virtue, and the Dao, proposing the doctrine that “a gentleman compares his virtue to jade.” This doctrine elevated jade from a mere substance to a moral level, making wearing jade not only an identifier of status but also a manifestation of personal moral cultivation. At that time, the jade pendant sets worn by noble scholars and officials were often strung together with multiple jade pieces, emitting a crisp and pleasant “ding-dang” sound when walking. This was not only for aesthetics but also to remind the wearer to “walk with moderation and advance and retreat with grace,” always maintaining the demeanor of a gentleman. In the famous story of “Returning the Jade Intact to Zhao,” the “He Shi Bi” that Lin Xiangru returned was not only a rare treasure but also a symbol of national integrity, embodying the profound cultural significance of jade as a ritual object.
After the Han Dynasty, the secularization of jade gradually became apparent, but its ritualistic attributes did not disappear. The jade belt hooks, sword slides, and seals worn by high-ranking officials and nobles all showcased their identity and status. Bai Juyi's poem “Song of the Pipa” from the Tang Dynasty, with its description of “large and small pearls falling onto a jade plate,” although not directly referring to jade pendants, indirectly reflects the widespread presence and aesthetic value of jade in social life at that time. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, jade pendants, hairpins, and bracelets became more common, but the concept of “wearing jade to cultivate character and collecting jade to cultivate oneself” remained deeply ingrained. Literati regarded jade as a symbol of noble character, wearing jade to reflect on themselves and to make friends through jade, exchanging appreciation.
Today, despite significant changes in social forms, the ritual culture of jade continues to be passed down in various forms. In important celebrations and ceremonies, jade is still regarded as a precious gift, carrying beautiful wishes and profound cultural connotations. For example, the jade inlaid in Olympic medals is a perfect example of combining traditional culture with modern grand events. In weddings, jade bracelets and pendants given by elders carry blessings and expectations for the newlyweds, transcending the material itself to become a transmission of emotion and a continuation of culture. We wear jade, perhaps no longer for strict hierarchical systems, but the pursuit of noble virtues, the reverence for traditional culture, and the warm, understated beauty emanating from jade itself still deeply attract us. The way of wearing jade is not just about how to wear jade, but also a cultural practice of self-cultivation and moral enlightenment, a manifestation of the continuous spiritual bloodline of the Chinese nation.