A collection of 1,368 jade artefacts dating back 8,500 years ago went on public display in Beijing Sunday.

The collection includes a dark green jade dragon in a C shape, said Professor Lin Yun-teng, of the Department of Geosciences of "National Taiwan University" , who organized the exhibition.

The dark green jade dragon in C shape [cppcc.people.com.cn]

"It is the earliest and best preserved figure of a dragon in Chinese history," he said.

The dragon dates from 5,000 to 6,700 years ago and is a symbol of the Hongshan culture, a neolithic culture that was based in today's Inner Mongolia, and Liaoning and Hebei provinces, which was known for jade jewellery and other items.

Also on show are jewellery and small sculptures in the shapes of an eagle, insects, flowers, humans and mythical sacred animals, dating back 4,000 to 8,500 years ago. Most of the items were pendants.

The artefacts were provided by 106 collectors in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao and abroad. Most of the articles were unearthed and taken abroad in the early 20th Century, Lin said.

"I hope more mainland visitors can enjoy this wonderful collection and have a better understanding of our traditions with jade," he said. "This is also part of the effort to improve exchanges across the Taiwan Strait."

The exhibition at the Chinese Art Museum on Jinyuchi Zhongjie, north of the Temple of Heaven, will run till Sept. 18.

(Xinhua News Agency August 16, 2009)