Hamza, a Pakistani international student at Liaoning Communication University, is an avid enthusiast of the Hongshan Culture. Since visiting the Hongshan Cultural Relics Exhibition held at the Liaoning Provincial Museum, he has embarked on a self-study journey by reading related books, and has been familiar with the Hongshan jade artifacts in the books very much. In the golden autumn of October, with a book titled The Niuheliang Site, Hamza and his two classmates ventured to the Luyuan Antique Market in Shenyang City, in search of traces of Hongshan jade artifacts and antiques.

They entered a jade and antique shop. Liu Yidan, an associate research fellow of the Liaoning Provincial Museum, and Li Xia, a handicraft artist, were waiting there for them. The three international students gazed curiously at the various Hongshan jade artifacts in the shop. They were overwhelmed by the various sizes of jade pig-shaped dragons, jade phoenixes, jade owls, jade figurines and other jade artifacts.

Hamza and his classmates followed the illustrations in the book The Niuheliang Site to explore the Hongshan Culture. He picked up a delicately carved jade pig-shaped dragon and inquired the two teachers about the origin of its name, as well as its significance in the Hongshan Culture. Upon learning that the jade pig-shaped dragon was used in sacrificial rituals, Hamza was greatly astonished.

Merdela, a student from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, holds a particular fondness for jade phoenixes. Given the abstract design of the jade phoenix unearthed at the Niuheliang Archaeological Site, Liu Yidan elaborated her meticulously on how to appreciate this jade artifact.

In the antique market, the international students also discovered that these imitated Hongshan jade artifacts have already been seamlessly integrated into people’s daily life. It has become popular among youngsters to thread small and exquisite jades together and decorate them on backpacks, around wrists, and on lapels. The students enthusiastically learned from the two teachers how to make jade decorations. After meticulously threading, winding, and tying knots, they successfully made their beloved replicas of Hongshan jades into lapel pins and bracelets. They wore their handworks proudly and took photos to commemorate this moment.

The international students learnt a lot through the unique Hongshan jade lesson in the antique market. “Today, we’ve not only acquired knowledge about Hongshan Culture and learned to distinguish the various shapes of Hongshan jade artifacts, but also mastered the skill of crafting these tiny jade pieces into bracelets to decorate ourselves. It’s really fantastic,” said Hamza.