Live Your Best Lives

Gem Hunter: Go deep into the agate mine to find traces of gems and geological expedition lines

D1

Day 1 Xi'an → Agate Mine → Xi'an

08:00

8:00-8:30 Gathering for camp opening

8:00 Gather at the East Gate of Provincial Stadium

8:15 Meet at Qujiang Toll Station

Today, we'll take you deep into the agate mining area. Do you know how agate is formed? How can you distinguish between common minerals? What are the historical stories associated with agate? Why do fossils appear in agate? With these questions in mind, embark on our "Gem Hunter" journey! The drive takes approximately 2.5 hours.

10:30

Treasure Appraisal Learning

We arranged teachers to explain to the children the reasons for the formation of jade and the unique value of Qin Ziyu, and to teach them how to identify jade and the quality of jade, so that they can appreciate the treasures of Qin Ziyu.

11:30

Lunch break

You can go to town for lunch at your own convenience.

13:00

Go to the mine

As the saying goes, "If you want to do your work well, you must first sharpen your tools." We prepared small shovels, gloves, flashlights, gem boxes, and other jade-picking equipment for the children. Due to the narrow road conditions leading to the mining area, we will transfer to a small car depending on the situation. The drive takes about half an hour to the mining area.

2:00 PM

Gem Hunter

After about 40 minutes of hiking, we arrived at the agate mine at the foot of the mountain. Along the way, we walked through agate debris from mining. Children will see fully jadeified Qin Ziyu jade, as well as "green stones" that haven't fully jadeified yet. Along the way, the teacher will explain how to identify jade quality. Afterwards, we arrived near the mine and observed the mine (an entire mountain is covered in agate!). Children can choose a few pieces of jade they like to take home.

4:00 PM

Jade maintenance

After returning to the store, the jade stones picked up will be oiled and maintained, and each child will receive a piece of processed jade (simple free-form carving).

4:30 PM

Return to Xi'an

After having a great time, we returned to Xi'an, reluctant to leave and kissed goodbye with tears in our eyes!

Driving time: one way about 150km, 2.5h

Notes: 1. The round-trip journey is approximately 5 hours, so please be cautious if you are concerned.
2. This route is subject to significant impact from weather and road conditions. If any potential safety concerns arise, the tour may be cancelled. We recommend that you have an alternative option available when registering.

Qin Ziyu, also known as "purple-green agate" and formerly known as "purple jade," is produced in Luonan County, nestled in the Qinling Mountains of Shaanxi Province, one of the birthplaces of Chinese civilization. Its texture is gentle and firm, its colors are rich and vibrant, with distinct color gradations, distinct layers, diverse compositions, and high plasticity. Its scarcity makes it highly sought after, earning it the status of "the foremost of the nine colors and the most respected of all jades." It is considered one of the four national jades, along with jadeite, Hetian jade, and southern red jade. Shaanxi Province considers Qin Ziyu a significant cultural symbol of the province, and ancient people used it as medicine. Legend has it that gunpowder, one of China's four great inventions, was invented while using Qin Ziyu in elixirs.

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