gems, jade, ruby, Burma, Myanmar, China, Yunnan

A wide-ranging description of the natural resources, products, geography, peoples, and material culture of Yunnan, completed by Tan Cui in 1799. The work comprises 13 sections, including caves and mountains, minerals and stones, aromatics, implements, animals, plants, and peoples. Of particular gemological importance is the second section, Zhi Jinshi [志金石], which discusses gold, silver, copper, jade, amber, gemstones, pearls, cinnabar, and other mineral substances. Its account of jade is especially significant because it explicitly describes jade from the region beyond Tengyue, the extraction and trading of boulder-like rough material, its transport to Dali and Yunnan, and the considerable uncertainty involved in cutting the rough to reveal fei cui [翡翠]. It is therefore an important early source for the history of the Burmese jadeite trade into China. The work was completed in 1799 and first printed in 1804. Sun Laichen: Volumes 2, 5, and 9 contain descriptions of Burmese products, including jade and jade Buddha images, penis bells, eggplants, insects, rubies, cotton, and cotton cloth. Prefaced in 1799 and printed in 1804.