Shankou Kiln Site

Shankou Kiln Site

The Shankou Kiln Site is a cultural tourism attraction.

On the southeastern side of Shankou Village Group in Tan Tou Village by the Gugu River, there lies a large pottery site. Historical records indicate that as early as the Yuan Dynasty, the ancestors here forged a land of ceramics with wisdom and fire. The pottery ware produced here is as smooth as jade, earning it the reputation of the "Father of Jiangxi Ceramics." A local ancient proverb goes: "First came the Shankou Kiln, then the Jizhou Porcelain, and later the Jingdezhen Porcelain."

The Shankou Kiln Site is located to the south of Shankou Village. Nestled against the mountain and beside the water, the village enjoys convenient transportation and abundant raw materials such as porcelain clay and fuel. The ceramic products were transported downstream via the Gugu River, passing through Jishui County and entering the Gan River at Zhangding Ferry in Ji’an County. Historical records show that the Shankou Kiln was first fired during the Southern Song Dynasty, developed in the early Yuan Dynasty, and ceased production by the end of the Yuan Dynasty.

The kiln remains at Shankou are massive, resembling small hills, with layers of pottery shards several meters thick. Broken pottery and kiln tools are scattered everywhere. To the southeast of the kiln lies a flat area about the size of a basketball court, adjacent to the kiln mound, seemingly serving as a pottery workshop. The pottery fired at Shankou features a variety of colors, including soy-brown, celadon, white, bluish-gray, and black. The shapes, colors, and firing methods resemble those of the Yonghezhou Kiln and Ningdu Dongshanba Kiln. The designs and glaze colors exhibit characteristics of late Tang Dynasty ceramics, while the celadon pottery resembles the firing techniques of the Song Dynasty. The most common decorative pattern is the double-fish motif, which is typical of Yuan Dynasty ornamentation—hence the title "Father of Jiangxi Ceramics." A local ancient proverb goes: "First came the Shankou Kiln, then the Jizhou Porcelain, and later the Jingdezhen Porcelain."

Tan Tou Village: Located in the township center of Tan Tou Township, Tan Tou Village currently has 19 natural villages, 493 farming households, and a population of 2,413. It covers 2,695 acres of arable land and 34,006 acres of forest land, primarily consisting of pine, fir, oak, lotus, and bamboo. The main agricultural produce includes rice, with tea oil and bamboo being particularly abundant. Key agricultural products are shiitake mushrooms, wood ear fungus, white lotus seeds, and kiwifruit. … Tan Tou Village detailed information++