A dragonfly white-eye glass bead during the Spring and Autumn Periods of ancient China. (Photo/english.cguardian.com)

Glass, one of the oldest man-made materials, carries a history of more than 2000 years in China. The earliest glass ware in China was shaped as small ball, and was used only as a decoration on the sword of nobleman. Glass boomed in China during the Qing Dynasty. There was even an imperial glass making factory during that time. Now let's look at some exquisite glass wares from ancient China.