Night Light Cup Carving

Night Light Cup Carving

Night Light Cup Carving is a national intangible cultural heritage.

　　Suzhou District in Gansu Province was historically known as Jiuquan Commandery. Since its establishment during the Western Han Dynasty, it has a history of over two thousand years and is one of the famous ancient Four Prefectures of Hexi, as well as an important historical and cultural city along the Silk Road.

　　The Jiuquan Night Light Cup is a precious drinking vessel carved from jade. According to *The Record of the Ten Continents*, during the reign of King Mu of Zhou, the Western Regions presented the court with “ever-full night-light cups,” made from refined white jade. The Tang Dynasty poet Wang Han wrote in his *Song of Liangzhou*: “Grapes and fine wine in night-light cups, I want to drink but the pipa urges my horse on. Don’t laugh if I lie drunk on the battlefield—how many warriors ever return from war?” This shows that the Jiuquan Night Light Cup had already appeared by at least the Tang Dynasty. Grape wine came from Liangzhou (Wuwei), and night-light cups from Suzhou (Jiuquan). The wine gains luster from the cup, and the cup becomes more renowned because of the wine—each enhancing the other’s fame through the ages.

　　Making a night light cup involves 28 complex processes. First, premium jade materials are carefully selected from the mountain valleys of the Qilian Mountains. They are then cut into cylinders of different specifications according to the size of the cup. A rough blank is produced in specific sizes, then shaped and finely polished to form the initial shape of the night light cup. Next, the interior is hollowed out to give the cup its basic form. Finally, after fourteen procedures including fine grinding, punching, rolling, burnishing, polishing, and waxing, it is further refined using a horsehair mesh to produce a crystal-clear night light cup.

　　The Jiuquan Night Light Cup is as thin as paper with a smooth and delicate surface. Thanks to continuous improvements in craftsmanship, the production now includes six major categories and over thirty different styles. All types maintain traditional production techniques, making the night light cups even more dazzling. The local government has implemented a five-year protection plan to explore and compile the original folk techniques for making night light cups.