| History |  |
The Jade Urn was adorned with lifelike relief carvings of sea dragons, sea horses, and sea rhinoceros cavorting the wawes. Emperor Shi Zu (Kublai Khan) of the Yuan Dynasty had the Jade Urn installed in the Guang Han Hall located on the Qiong Hua Island. It is said that the urn was used for wine at the emperor's grand banquets given for his ministers to celebrate a victory in war. In the Ming Dynasty, Guang Han Hall collapsed and the Jade Urn was lost, but found again in 1745. The Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty bought it for a thousand onces of silver and placed it in Cheng Guang Hall. In 1749, Jade Urn Pavilion was built for the urn which was given a new jade pedestal. On the pillars of the pavilion are engraved 40 poems written by 40 members of the Imperial Academy. |
