ancient jade culture of liangzhu ruins sparkles on hangzhou asiad torch-518棋牌

an aerial view of the liangzhu relic site in hangzhou, east china's zhejiang province, august 25, 2021. /cfp

the enigmatic allure of china's 5,000-year-old liangzhu jade culture has been sparkling on the "eternal flame," the symbolic torch of the 19th asian games, as it continues to ignite passions at the grand sporting event captivating the whole of asia.

the torch of the 19th asian games is on display at a museum in hangzhou, east china's zhejiang province, september 29, 2023. /cfp

nestled in hangzhou, the host city of the latest edition of the asiad, the archaeological ruins of liangzhu city stand as a compelling testament to china's splendid civilization. it was designated as a unesco world heritage site in 2019.

a file photo shows a "yucong," or "jade cong," a jade artefact excavated from the archaeological ruins of liangzhu city in hangzhou, east china's zhejiang province. /cfp

the mysterious ancient liangzhu culture inspired the design of the torch for the 19th hangzhou asian games, or the "eternal flame," which not only represents the sporting spirit of the event, but as its name suggests, also conveys the notion of chinese civilization being passed down from generation to generation.

a file photo shows a "yucong," or "jade cong," a jade artefact excavated from the archaeological ruins of liangzhu city in hangzhou, east china's zhejiang province. /cfp

speaking of the head of this torch in particular, its design was inspired by "yucong," or "jade cong," the illustrious ceremonial jade artefacts typical of the liangzhu civilization, which abound in number and excel in their craftsmanship.

a file photo shows a "yucong," or "jade cong," a jade artefact excavated from the archaeological ruins of liangzhu city in hangzhou, east china's zhejiang province. /cfp

square on the outside but circular within, this ancient jade cylinder features a harmonious, integrated square-round form that is quite unique, and is among the most distinctive treasures of the liangzhu culture. as one of china's rarest ritual jade pieces, its exquisite arcane carved details continue to marvel people some thousands of years later, across the gulf of space and time.