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 Looking in a Stream
Bai Bao Stream used to be called Bai Pao Stream. It's located in Chi Nan Village in Hua Lian County. The two sources of the stream are found up two valleys in the southeastern part of Mu Gua mountain in the Central Mountain Range. The source is near Wen Lan Village of Xiu Lin Township. It goes along a distance of rock cliff and has three glitteringly beautiful waterfalls as it cuts its way between the cliffs. Bai Bao Stream is one of branches of the Hua Lian Stream. Before it converges, it winds eastward. Then it converges with the Hua Lian Stream near the Chung Guang Bridge in Chi Nan Village of Shou Fong Township.
The length of the stream is around 9 km, with constantly running clear water. The upper stream along the cliff is narrow and winding, also with falls and emerald ponds, just like a Garden of Eden. This area is great for wading activities. Below the cliffs, one can find sandstone, slate, schist, marble and serpentine with pieces or inclusions of quartz, mica and asbestos. If asbestos and serpentine go through secondary geologic transformation, they may later form green Taiwan nephrite and glittering cat's eye nephrite. Because of the mining activities in the upper stream, the stream is full of green or purple-gray stone mineral.
The jade pieces are in the stream because the Japanese were busy mining asbestos in the Fong Tian area during their colonial period. When they saw these raw stones of jade, they mistakenly thought them to be worthless, and threw them down into the river bed. It was only in the 1960's that these raw stone were recognized as nephrite. This is why the upper part of the Bai Bao Stream became the only river in Taiwan where jade can be found.
It was thrown there from the mountains above! Though the mines are no longer active, jade stone in different sizes with variable quality still can be found by waders, particularly after it rains. The farther up the stream one goes, the bigger and purer the jade raw stone you can find.
There are always surprises when one is searching for jade in Bai Bao Stream. This is because the old Li Xiang Mine is located at the upper reaches of the stream, and one can easily find jade stone here. Besides that, the water is clean and unpolluted, which attracts fish, crabs and sometimes small turtles to swim past you. This reminds people of their earlier childhood memories and brings them back to re-experience the pleasure they once had as they played in the stream.
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Looking at a Quary 