Yunnan Go Stone (Yunzi/Yongzi) Making

Go reached Yunnan in the Han dynasty; in the Zhengde reign of the Ming, Yunnanese melted agate and amethyst at high heat and hand-dripped them into stones known as 'Yunzi,' a craft added to the fifth national ICH list in 2021.

Using natural Yunnan minerals such as borax, agate, and yellow dragon jade, the stones pass through more than ten steps of smelting, hand-dripping, annealing, and polishing to emerge smooth as jade.

Prized for their warm texture and black stones that glint deep green in the light, Yunzi are a treasure uniting traditional Chinese Go culture with Yunnan's mineral craft.