8. The jade cong from Zhejiang Provincial Museum

Chinese actress Zhou Dongyu acted as Princess Yao of the Liangzhu (3310-2250 BC) to showcase a Liangzhu jade cong dating from the late Neolithic period, when humans first learned to plant crops and domesticate animals, which was discovered in the southeastern part of the Hangzhou-Jiaxing-Huzhou Plain.

The jade cong is in the shape of a square tube that becomes narrower towards the bottom, with a round hole drilled through it. With a weight of about 6.5 kg, a large size, and its unique and elaborate design, this is the most impressive of all the jade cong in Liangzhu culture. There is no consensus on the function of the cong, although most scholars believe that it was used in religious ceremonies to worship the earth and to pray for a good harvest.

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