Jade is highly valued in China: here it is called the “imperial stone.” There is an ancient saying that gold has a price, while jade is priceless. It is distinguished by its exceptional strength: even if you strike the stone with a hammer on an anvil, in most cases nothing will happen to it.
This quality can be used to check the honesty of traders at the Chinese market. A vigilant buyer should try to scratch the jade and tap it with something heavy. Most likely, they will not hand over a fake for inspection at all.
The jade market is located in the small district of Yau Ma Tai (Kowloon). A wide variety of items are sold here – jewelry, paintings, boxes, mirrors, tableware, amulets, and figurines for the home. In China, the teachings of feng shui are given great importance, and sellers will definitely explain to you why you should keep a figurine of a toad or a dragon in your home, and, most importantly, where to place it. Miniature figurines can be taken with you as souvenirs from Hong Kong.
The color of the stone varies from yellow and green to black; in folk medicine, white jade is used for treatment, and red jade is considered the rarest. Regardless of the shade, the stone has its distinctive special luster – matte and oily. One of the most famous works made from a single piece of jade is a 6-meter-tall statue of Buddha.
