玉，是一種質地細密、色澤淡雅、溫潤光潔的「美石」，以玉製成的物品稱為玉器。以玉器的各種形式、蘊涵、觀賞、寓意和審美所形成的獨特文化及文化現象，稱為玉文化。從考古材料顯示中國最早的玉器製造可追溯到八千年前的興隆窪文化，因此用玉文化有八千餘年的歷史，自先秦時期已記載並廣泛地盛行著崇玉習俗與文化，玉被廣泛地運用於社會生活的各個方面，如祭祀、外交、軍事、喪葬等，它的功能，除了熟知的美化儀表的裝飾作用外，還象徵著政治秩序和社會地位，甚至成為人格風範的表徵。憂見於全球環保及資源開發過度，乃自世風日下，人心不古等諸多問題，本文擬藉《詩經》中詩文所傳遞出聖人先賢賦於玉的多樣德性與詮釋，透過時代氛圍，重新演繹玉文化所孕育呈現出來的鮮明事例，以為吾輩知所借鑒。

Jade is a type of“beautiful stone”with dense substance, elegant colors, and smooth surface. Jade artifacts, with various forms and symbolic and aesthetic meanings, have formed a distinct culture and shaped specific cultural phenomena. Archeological findings show that jade artifacts were being produced in China eight thousand years ago. Since then, jade artifacts have played crucial parts in many aspects of Chinese society, such as religious rituals, foreign affairs, military actions, and burial customs. Besides simple decoration, jade even becomes symbols of personality. This paper will explore the cultural significance of jade through relevant parts from Shih Jing, or the Classics of Poetry, and explicate some important examples of jade culture and artifacts.