Episode 12: Massive Cicada — Animal Motifs and Divine Belief in Hongshan Jade

The Hongshan culture is widely recognized for its jade animal figures. While their artisans also created plant motifs and depictions of sun gods, it’s the animals—both realistic and fantastical—that truly define their artistic and spiritual identity.

We can roughly divide Hongshan jade animals into two main categories:

1. Realistic single-animal forms — identifiable creatures rendered with striking naturalism.

2. Composite creatures — imaginative fusions of multiple animals, mysterious in both form and meaning.

In this episode, we examine a striking example of the first category: a massive jade cicada. Though it is too large and heavy to be worn, its ceremonial purpose—and spiritual power—are unmistakable.

🔍 Using the Four-Point Jadeology Method:

1. Material This cicada is carved from yellow jade. Along its thinner edges, the jade turns translucent, a sign of its quality.

2. Stain & Patina The surface is deeply stained a rich brandy-red, with patina covering the entire piece. The soft, even sheen signals age and authenticity.

3. Design This is a remarkably realistic cicada.

• It has two large, olive-shaped eyes on a triangular head.

• Behind the head are large wings, carved with typical Hongshan channel designs, though flatter and less curved than usual.

• A crosshatch pattern appears on the neck, a motif found on many Hongshan jades—possibly symbolizing protective power.

• The belly is rendered with incised lines to mimic the real insect’s body.

• A large hole is drilled beneath the beak, likely for hanging during ceremonial use.

4. Craftsmanship The cicada is shaped by labor-intensive grooving—carved strike by strike—leaving behind tiny, uneven tool marks. This handwork reflects not only technical skill but reverence for the subject.

🐛 Why So Many Animals in Hongshan Jade?

Why did Hongshan people create such a wide variety of animal figures in jade? Especially large ones like this cicada, which are clearly not meant to be worn?

Scholars like Hayashi Minao and Deng Shuping have explored the spiritual significance of these pieces. In ancient times, animals were admired for their unique abilities. They were believed to be divine themselves—or messengers between gods and humans. The jade’s natural energy, its earthly power, combined with the animal’s symbolic power, formed a conduit to the spiritual world.

These jade carvings are not just art—they are expressions of belief. They prove that ancient Chinese people held a deep spiritual connection to the divine.

🧭 A Lost Connection to the Divine?

Today, China is often described as having no religion. No gods. No divine belief. This is a profound mystery.

All human cultures ask the same questions: Where do we come from? Where are we going? When we look up at the star-filled sky, we instinctively wonder—what lies beyond? What greater power governs us?

Ancient Chinese were no exception. The presence of jade offerings, celestial motifs, and divine animal forms proves they sought answers from the spiritual world. Yet modern Chinese culture seems detached from those roots.

What happened? When did the disconnection begin? Why did we stop believing?

These questions haunt me as I study these fantastical jade pieces. I wonder: Where are our gods now?

This is the essence of jadeology. Each jade artifact is more than an object—it is a key to understanding who we were, and who we are. By threading these pieces together, we don’t just study ancient artifacts—we begin to remember the soul of a civilization.

Stay with me as we continue uncovering the stories locked inside jade. Piece by piece, we move closer to understanding our past—and ourselves.