The Jade Mountain Da Yu Taming The River, carved during the reign of Emperor Qianlong (1736-1796) of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and kept in the Forbidden City in Beijing, is the biggest jade article in China, and one of the biggest in the world.

The jade mountain is 224 cm high, 96cm wide and weighs 5,350 kilograms. The jade looks gray and three-dimensional. It is not only the most costly and time-consuming jade carving work but also contains the finest carving and the most splendid verve in China.

Craftsmen carved the jade stone into a vivid picture of Da Yu Taming The River, with hills, flowing springs, flying falls, ancient trees and green pines all around. On the mountain, mysterious caves can be found in dangerously steep precipices and cliffs. The workers gather in crowds and groups to cut the mountains. Some of them hold bunches of flowers, while others scoop out the grit; some use simple lever machines to pry up stones and drive piles into the earth. The entire scene burns with ardor.

This huge jade sculpture took the craftsmen 10 years to complete, and it was not until 1788 that it was entirely finished. It took hundreds of thousands of people and more than one million taels of silver to produce the masterpiece. It is a crystal of intelligence and strength and a matchless treasure of art.