Hezhangshan Kiln Site

Hezhangshan Kiln Site

The Hezhangshan Kiln Site is located on the hillside south of Weigui Road in Longhushan Town, Guixi City, covering an area of approximately 900 square meters. This kiln site was a civilian kiln from the Ming Dynasty. The dragon kiln was built along the slope, higher in the west and lower in the east, extending westward in a sloping manner. On the eastern slope, accumulations of debris can be seen, and pottery fragments such as bowls, cups, and saucers have been collected from the surface, along with stacked discarded bowls. The vessels are thick and heavy, crudely made, with noticeable sand grains on the fractured surfaces, no evidence of painted designs, and greenish or brown glaze extending to the base. This kiln site provides new insights into the emergence of rural workshops, the technical division of labor in kiln sites, and the development of the local commodity economy in the Shangqing area during the mid-to-late Ming Dynasty.