Tengchong sits in western Yunnan close to the border with Myanmar, and for several hundred years it was the principal entry point for jadeite - the hard, deep-green stone that Chinese buyers value above all other jades - coming out of the mines of northern Myanmar. The trade was so important that the town's fortunes rose and fell with it, and although the modern market is regulated and largely conducted through formal channels, Tengchong remains a place where raw stone, cut pieces, carvings and finished jewellery are traded in volume.
How the market works
The trade runs at several levels. There are markets selling raw and rough material, where buyers inspect stones with a torch to judge what lies inside the weathered crust - the riskiest end of the business. There are cutting and polishing workshops, where you can see stone being slabbed and shaped. There are shops and galleries with finished pieces: bangles, pendants, carved figures, and the "imperial green" material that commands extraordinary prices. And there are auction and trading halls where dealers work through lots. Tengchong also has a jade museum that explains the geology, the mining history and the trade routes.
What to know before you buy
Jadeite valuation depends on colour, transparency, texture and the absence of flaws, and the difference between a piece worth a few hundred yuan and one worth a hundred thousand is rarely visible to an untrained eye. Treat every purchase as a purchase of stone you like rather than an investment, insist on a certificate from a recognised testing laboratory for anything expensive, and compare several shops before committing. Prices are negotiable. Imitation and treated stone are common in the mass market, and the honest sellers will say plainly what they are selling.
Practical notes
Tengchong has its own airport and is also reachable by road from Kunming via Dali, a long drive; the town is usually combined with the Tengchong volcanoes, the Heshun old town and the hot springs, which makes it a natural two-day stop. The town is at around 1,600 metres and pleasant year-round. If you buy jade, obtain the receipt and certificate, and check your own country's rules on importing gemstones before you travel home.
