Baoshan, Yunnan

When it comes to the original production site of Nan Hong agate, Yunnan’s Baoshan must undoubtedly be mentioned. Today, this location still supplies over 90 percent of the raw materials used for producing new Nan Hong artifacts. Although the original Nan Hong ore is widely believed to have disappeared by the late Qing dynasty—though the claim that it vanished during the Qianlong era of the Qing dynasty is largely a misconception—we’ve heard from elderly Tibetan villagers in Gannan that they were still purchasing new Nan Hong beads before 1949. Moreover, we’ve seen photographs from the Republican era showing large quantities of exceptionally well-preserved Nan Hong bead necklaces being sold to foreigners. Even the Nan Hong bracelets held in the Forbidden City in Beijing clearly exhibit characteristics typical of bracelets from the late Qing period. All these pieces of evidence provide circumstantial proof that Nan Hong’s original deposits didn’t actually disappear until at least the late Qing dynasty. Nevertheless, today’s Baoshan still yields a certain amount of preserved original ore each year, which modern artisans can process. Many of the so-called “persimmon-red” Nan Hong pieces we see on the market today originate precisely from there.

Nan Hong from Baoshan, Yunnan ▲

In fact, Xu Xiake made a record of the Nanhong jade produced in Yunnan. In his "Travel Diaries of Xu Xiake," he described a place called "Agate Mountain" in Yunnan, noting that "the mountain is dotted with perilous cliffs, overgrown with vines and trees that cascade downward. When you chisel into the cliffs and split the rocks, agate stones are found embedded within. Their colors range from moon-white to reddish, though none are particularly large—each is no bigger than a fist. Such is the nature of the vine itself. As you venture deeper along its trail, you occasionally come across sections where the agate forms bulbous nodules, each as big as a rice bowl and round like a ball. These nodules hang suspended in mid-air, yet they don't adhere to the rock. Inside these nodules, water sustains them, lending them an exceptionally crystalline and compact texture—a quality that sets them apart from ordinary agate vines. Such top-grade agate is not easily encountered; what is commonly collected and sold by merchants is usually obtained by chiseling directly from the vines." The exact location of this Agate Mountain remains somewhat controversial, but it nonetheless deserves to be mentioned as supplementary evidence.

Nan Hong from Baoshan, Yunnan ▲

Gansu Diebu

As for the second production area, we need to mention Diebu in Gansu. In this region, the density of old southern red beads is exceptionally high and exhibits distinctive regional radiating characteristics. Although we haven't found any relevant records in county chronicles, some memoir-like accounts indicate that the Beijing Jewelry Company operated a mine in Diebu during the 1980s. Although it seems that mining activities in this area were largely limited to surface-level collection, we can still reasonably conclude that Diebu is an important production center.

Gansu Old Southern Red ▲

Liangshan, Sichuan

Third production site Liangshan in Sichuan Province has four major production areas: Jiukou, Wupo—also known as Qingheng Township—Waxi, and Lianhe—also known as Luomo Yida Township.
Nine mouths Located in the southwest of Meigu County, the southern red jasper mined from this pit is of the highest quality among Liangshan materials and tends to yield "large pieces" (large-sized stones). It is characterized by high integrity, few cracks or fissures, vivid color, and a smooth, oily texture.
Wupo This new pit, excavated starting in the first half of 2011, sees relatively little involvement from outsiders. It’s located in the northeastern part of Zhaojue County. The Nanhong produced here is slightly inferior to that from Jiukou—its color is more uniform, and most pieces exhibit a pure, vibrant red. While larger-sized materials are available, their overall completeness tends to be lower.

Sichuan Nan Hong ▲

Vasi The mining conditions at the pit are relatively poor, and it is located in the eastern part of Meigu County. The produced southern red stones exhibit poor color uniformity and generally small weights; very few raw stones weigh over 500 grams.
United Located in the southern part of Meigu County, these pits are situated near or at the surface, making them relatively easy to mine and thus discovered fairly early. However, the quality of the Southern Red agate found here is highly polarized: the best specimens are exceptional, while the worst are extremely poor. Jointed material boasts better transparency—commonly referred to in trade jargon as having a “higher water content.” Top-grade jointed material is even sometimes used as a substitute for Baoshan material. Ring faces are typically crafted from the highest-quality material; in fact, 70% of ring faces on the market are made from jointed material, whereas only 30% are made from Yangliu material. Yet, the price difference between jointed material and Yangliu material is significant—ranging from 10 to 20 times higher for jointed material. Jointed material has a rich, vibrant water content, while Baoshan material tends to be heavier and exhibits a strong, gel-like texture.

Nepal

The fourth origin—Nepal—is an area that most people have probably heard relatively little about. This view first appeared in academic publications in Europe around the 1980s. Although there’s no available data or evidence to definitively confirm whether this origin is accurate, it’s certain that Nepal has a substantial quantity of old “nan hong” stones, and there’s solid empirical evidence showing that large quantities of these stones have recently entered (or returned to) China.

Gansu Old Southern Red ▲

Other

We’ve also come across reports in recent years—particularly from Yichang—that small pieces of raw southern red jade have been discovered in the Jinsha River-Yangtze River basin. These pieces are said to have been carried downstream along the Jinsha River. Some southern red jade enthusiasts have drawn the conclusion, based on these small raw stones, that southern red jade can be categorized into “seed material” and “mountain material”—a claim that is remarkably lacking in solid evidence.

Recommended reading ： Click the image below to read.

The Origin of Nan Hong ┃ A History That Every Lover of Nan Hong Should Know.

Wenwan Talk ┃ A Detailed Explanation of Star-and-Moon Old Seeds, Yin Skin, and Jade-like Transformation 。