An amazing creation in jadeite

One of the most stunning works in jadeite is a piece that recreates one of China’s most famous paintings. 'Along the River During the Qingming Festival' 清明上河图. It is a painting several metres in length.

Li Zhenqing has managed to represent it in jade. The idea came to him when he came across a block of jadeite at an auction and spent a fortune to acquire it. He then used a cutting machine imported from Germany to slice it into thin sections.

He carefully arranged each section in sequence, drew a faithful copy of the painting on the jade slices, then spent four years carving the jade in such a way that it matched the content of the painting.

It’s an amazing work now on display at a national museum in Beijing. Some have valued it at one billion yuan, which is more than a hundred million US dollars.