Jade evokes a cool feeling of smoothness and softness. The dragon brings fire, strength and activity to mind. Both are powerful Asian images with a deep cultural significance. "In ancient times," said Confucius, "men found the likeness of all excellent qualities in jade. Soft, smooth and glossy, it appeared to them like benevolence; fine, compact and strong, like intelligence; angular, but not sharp and cutting, like righteousness." Jade dragons were the favorite jade articles of royal families.

The famous Jade Dragon, unearthed in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in 1971, was one of the representative works of China's early jade carvings. To date, it is also the earliest dragon carved from jade in China.

The flying, 26-cm-tall Jade Dragon is twisted into a half-circle. It does not have horns, squamas or feet, and resembles images of primitive dragons. The work is preserved at the National Museum of Chinese History.

The dragon image dates back to ancient people's worship of totems and represents power and hope. Emperors tried to apotheosize themselves with the image of dragons, which were held in high esteem by Chinese people. After thousands of years, dragons became the symbol of Chinese people, who relied on dragons for a good life and bright future. The jade article demonstrates artistic characteristics of simplicity and plainness of China's jade carvings in the early period.