Hengshan Zhou Kiln Site

Hengshan Zhou Kiln Site

The Hengshan Zhou Kiln Site is a Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Hengshan Zhou Celadon Kiln Site is located on a hillside about 1 kilometer north of Zhangba Natural Village, Chishi Township, Yunhe County, facing east. It was designated as a county-level cultural relics protection unit by the People's Government of Yunhe County in December 1989.

A relatively intact kiln site was excavated: the kiln bed is 53.5 meters long and 2.1 meters wide; the working area is 2.3 meters long, covering an area of 5 square meters, with a ventilation channel in front of the working area; the kiln head and fire pit are well preserved, with the fire pit being semi-circular in shape; the kiln tail and flue are intact; the kiln bed is built along the hillside at an angle of 13–20 degrees, with seven regularly arranged kiln shelves in the middle, stacked up to seven layers; the lower part of the kiln wall consists of seven layers of offset-stacked mud bricks, the upper part is made of three to five layers of inverted kiln shelves, and the back of the kiln wall has two kiln shelves with mountain soil filled in between; the pillars outside the kiln are neatly arranged, with a drainage ditch on each side. The excavation has determined that there are at least seven kiln beds in this group, one of which is a lower kiln with a stacking height of 2.5 meters.

The unearthed artifacts were found to mainly consist of bowls, along with plates, dishes, cups, goblets, incense burners, etc.; other items such as firing testers, clay scoops, inkstones, incense stands, turning rings, grinding bowls, patterned bowls, and trimming knives were also discovered. The bowls are categorized into: flared-rim bowls, small bowls, plain bowls, open-mouth bowls, flat-footed bowls, small-footed open-mouth bowls, and trimmed small bowls. The plates are divided into: rolled-rim plates, open-mouth plates, folded-rim plates, sunflower-petal plates, small-footed folded-rim plates, and extra-large plates.

The decorative patterns on the artifacts are very rich, mainly falling into three categories: animals, characters, and flowers. Animal motifs include: dragons (single and double), phoenixes (single and double), cranes, deer, horses, double fish, four fish, qilin, human figures, and humans riding horses. Character motifs include: Hengshan, Jinyu, Yu Zi, Mountains and Rivers, Da Ji (great luck), Fu Gui (prosperity), Fu (or Lu - fortune), Yi Sou, Wang, Zhang, Shui, Bao, Wan, Shou, Shu, as well as Phags-pa script. Floral designs feature: lotus, peony, sunflower, chrysanthemum, pomegranate, hibiscus, lotus, rose, fruit, and sunflower. Among these, lotus motifs are the most common: four-leaf lotus, long-petal lotus, interlocking lotus and leaves, and wave-patterned lotus. Other decorative patterns include: five-leaf motifs, eight treasures, floral designs, and deer among grass, primarily executed through carving, stamping, and incising techniques. Based on the artifacts and their decorations, this kiln site group dates from the Yuan Dynasty to the early Ming Dynasty.

On January 13, 2017, it was designated as part of the seventh batch of Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Chishi Township: A township under the jurisdiction of Yunhe County. It was established as Chishi Township in 1949, renamed Chishi Management District in 1958, became Chishi Commune in 1961, and merged with Kubei Township in 1992. Located northwest of the county seat, it is 12 kilometers from the county town, covering an area of 124 square kilometers with a population of 7,000. The Lishui-Pucheng Highway runs through the township, and the Longquan Stream flows across it. It administers 14 village committees: Chishi, Jiansheng, Jianyuan, Yinyan, Jianlin, Yangtian, Xinlin, Zhangyuantou, Linhaiyang, Mayang, Danbukeng, Gaoshan, Dianzi, and Nandong. Township enterprises include wooden toy manufacturing, motor repair, and energy-saving equipment. The main agricultural products include... More details on Chishi Township ++

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units