Baihu Kiln Site

Baihu Kiln Site

The Baihu Kiln Site is a cultural heritage protection unit of Jiangxi Province.

The Baihu Kiln Site is among the first batch of municipal-level cultural heritage protection units in Fuzhou City and a cultural heritage protection unit of Jiangxi Province. Located at Baihudu, 700 meters southeast of Baihu Kiln Village in Hongqiao Town, Linchuan District — hence the name “Baihu Kiln.” The kiln operated from the Southern Dynasties to the Song Dynasty and is one of the important links in the history of ancient ceramic production in southern China.

The Baihu Kiln was discovered during a cultural relics survey conducted by the Jiangxi Provincial Museum in the 1950s and 1960s. Field investigations revealed that the Baihu Kiln site stretches over 2 kilometers, encompassing Maojia Village, Yijia Village, and Erjia Village. Although several kilns have been damaged, seven remain relatively intact. The ruins are scattered with numerous ceramic fragments and kiln tools. These kilns are confirmed by the preface of the Baihu Mao Family Genealogy from the Southern Song Dynasty, Shaoxing era (1135), which records: “In the first year of Yuanfeng during the Song Dynasty (1078), the Mao family moved to this area. One day while traveling westward, their cart passed by Hudu... and someone asked, ‘What place is this?’ The locals replied, ‘This is Hudu, also called Baihu Kiln.’” This confirms that the kiln existed well before the Northern Song Dynasty. In fact, as early as the Tang Dynasty, the Baihu Kiln in Linchuan was already quite sizable.

During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the Baihu Kiln and the Luohu Kiln in Fengcheng were both part of the major kiln bases in Hongzhou. Its main products included bowls, jars, and vats, with bowls being the most common. Most vessels had flat bottoms, slightly concave in the center, though some had ring feet. The body was generally coarse and thick, with gray clay. Glaze colors were mostly bluish-green or soy sauce brown, with a small number in bean green. The interior was usually fully glazed, while the exterior glaze often did not reach the base. The glaze surface frequently exhibited fine crackle patterns, and uneven glazing appeared tear-like. Decorations were relatively simple, mostly in the form of sunflower patterns, and jar shoulders were often adorned with “taotie” motifs. The produced items were rustic yet elegant, demonstrating skilled craftsmanship, glossy glaze, and characteristics of the era. Their shapes, techniques, and decorative patterns also featured distinctive local features, making them renowned across Jiangxi.

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Jiangxi Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units