Jade Carving Yu the Great Harnesses the Floods
Yu the Great Harnesses the Floods is the largest single jade carving in the collection of the Palace Museum. It is more than two meters high and nearly one meter wide and weighs five tons.
It was carved from a whole piece of Hetian nephrite mined from Xinjiang. After the jade material arrived in Beijing, Emperor Qianlong ordered a jade carving themed "Yu the Great Harnesses the Floods". He entrusted someone to draw the blueprint for the jade carving, according to which wax and wood molds were made.
Because Yangzhou was noted for making large jade carvings at that time, the material was floated to Yangzhou via the Grand Canal and transported back to the capital after the carving was completed. It took more than 10 years to complete the project. The jade carving has since been housed in the Hall of Joyful Longevity for over 200 years.
The entire jade carving depicts 11 scenes such as setting the mountains on fire with the help of gods, chiseling the mountains, and dredging the waterways, involving a total of 53 figures holding axes, building frames, and pulling ropes. Yu the Great stands in the center, holding a sledgehammer high as if to strike a hard stone.
The back of the jade carving was engraved with a poem by Emperor Qianlong to praise the achievements of Yu the Great in harnessing the floods, describe the process of making the jade carving, and express his feelings about the country's stable development after pacifying the northwestern border areas.
Yu the Great Harnesses the Floods represents the pinnacle of ancient Chinese jade carving and symbolizes the unity and hardworking spirit of the Chinese nation.
大禹治水玉山
大禹治水玉山是故宫博物院所藏最大的单体玉雕，通高两米多，宽近一米，重达五吨。所用玉料采自新疆，为一整块和田玉。玉料运抵京城后，乾隆皇帝钦定以《大禹治水图》为题材，命人绘制玉山图纸，再依图纸分别做出蜡样和木样。扬州当时以擅作大件玉雕闻名于世，故将玉料沿大运河送抵扬州，依样雕刻完成后运回京城，前后耗时十余年。玉山被安放在乐寿堂中，至今二百余年未曾移动。
整座玉山展示了神助焚山、开山凿石、疏通水路等11个场景，共有持斧、构架、拉绳等53个人物。大禹在玉山正面中部，他高举大锤，仿佛马上要凿开一块顽石。玉山背面雕刻有乾隆皇帝御题诗文，歌颂了大禹治水的功绩，讲述了变玉石为玉山的过程，抒发了皇帝对平定西北、统一疆土后稳定发展的感慨。
大禹治水玉山既是中国古代玉雕工艺的登峰造极之作，也是中华民族齐心协力、不畏艰难的精神象征。
