Kuzhai Pit Kiln Site

Kuzhai Pit Kiln Site

The Kuzhai Pit Kiln Site is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Kuzhai Kiln Site is located in Zimei Village, Jiefu Township, Yongchun County, dating back to the Bronze Age.

Description: A sloping dragon kiln from the Bronze Age, where the excavated artifacts are primarily primitive porcelain, with a small number of pottery items. The vessel types include zun, jars, bowls, dou, spinning whorls, etc., with the body of the artifacts being gray or yellowish-white in color. The kiln site covers an area of approximately 35,000 square meters, and a total of nine dragon kiln remains have been uncovered, covering an area of about 300 square meters. The kiln structure was built in layers; after the lower layer kiln was abandoned, a new one was built at the tail end of the lower level. The inner wall of the kiln is about 1.24 meters wide and approximately 3.84 meters long, sloping in shape.

The kiln site faces southeast and is situated to the northwest. Archaeological excavations have uncovered a total of nine dragon kiln remains. The site dates back 3,400–3,700 years ago, equivalent to the late Xia Dynasty to the middle Shang Dynasty in the Central Plains region, making it the earliest discovered primitive porcelain kiln site in China. This discovery pushes back the history of primitive porcelain production in China by 200 years and holds significant importance for studying the origin and development of primitive porcelain in China. In 2017, it was honored as one of the “Top Ten Archaeological Discoveries of 2016.”

Protected Area: Extends 30 meters outward to the east, west, and south, and reaches the border with Dehua’s Sandan area to the north.

In 2018, the Kuzhai Pit Kiln Site was announced by the Fujian Provincial People’s Government as part of the ninth batch of Provincial-Level Cultural Relics Protection Units.

In 2019, the Kuzhai Pit Kiln Site was included in the eighth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Zimei Village: Zimei Village in Jiefu Township is located in the central part of the township. The village neighbors Dehua’s Sandan and is 23 kilometers from Yongchun County. At an elevation of 560 meters, it is surrounded by mountains and is known as a valley plain. Legend has it that during the Sui Dynasty, the Zheng family migrated from Rongyang, Henan to Putian in Fujian, spanning 64 generations. Zheng Haigong moved from Putian to Taoyuan, Taoying in Yongchun County—considered the first generation to settle in Yongchun from Libi—and the Zheng clan of Zimei is descended from the fifth generation (during the Hongwu era). Zheng Zi Yun moved from Taoying to Jiefu to raise poultry and livestock for a living, gradually developing and expanding the family line. To commemorate their ancestor Zi Yun and to praise the beautiful landscape of the area, later generations named it “Zimei”… More detailed information about Zimei Village ++

Further Reading:

· First Batch of Provincial-Level Archaeological Site Parks in Fujian Province

· Ninth Batch of Fujian Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Eighth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units