Milestones in civilization

An exhibition running at the Hunan Museum is offering unprecedented access to an array of national treasures gathered from different corners of China, Wang Kaihao reports in Changsha.

A 5,000-year-old jade cong used in rituals of Neolithic Liangzhu culture in today's Zhejiang province may hold the key to unlocking the splendor of the lost and once influential civilization.

Often called the "king of cong" for its size, exquisite decorations and numerous emblems, like other cong, this jade piece forms a tube with a circular inner section and a square outer section.