Ancient Lan Tian Porcelain Kiln Site

Ancient Lan Tian Porcelain Kiln Site

The Ancient Lan Tian Porcelain Kiln Site is a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangxi Province.

Ancient Lan Tian Porcelain Kiln Site (including the Wan Yao Wu, Zhu Shi Ling, and Xiao Jin Wu ancient porcelain kiln ruins)

The Ancient Lan Tian Porcelain Kiln Site is located in Jinxing Natural Village, Lan Tian Village, Xianghu Town, Fuliang County, Jingdezhen City. It lies within a hilly mountainous region, with higher terrain to the northeast. The highest peak, Tong Qian Jian, has an elevation of 746 meters and is part of the Huangshan Mountain range. The mountain range extends southwestward into the hinterland, where the terrain mostly ranges between 300 and 500 meters. The northern and southern flanks of the hinterland are the Li Shui and Nan He river valleys, respectively. The village is about 1 kilometer south of the Nan He River and approximately 200 meters east of a small stream that connects to the Nan He. About 4 kilometers to the southwest is the Xianghu Kiln Site, with the Ying Tian Kiln Site located a bit further away.

Surrounded by mountains and covered with lush vegetation, the area provided an abundant supply of fuel for ancient porcelain production. There are large underground deposits of porcelain stone nearby, and the nearby Jin Keng, just west of the site, is rich in high-quality porcelain stone, supplying a continuous stream of raw materials for Jingdezhen’s ceramic industry during the “single-ingredient formula” era. The crisscrossing streams and rivers, along with ample water volume, facilitated convenient waterway transportation. The Li Shui and Nan He rivers became the main channels for exporting ancient porcelain. Thus, Lan Tian enjoyed uniquely favorable conditions for porcelain production and has been described since ancient times as having “land and water perfect for pottery.”

The Ancient Lan Tian Porcelain Kiln Site is currently the earliest discovered kiln site in the Fuliang region of Jingdezhen based on archaeological findings. The kiln site began production in the mid-to-late Tang Dynasty and ceased operations in the Northern Song Dynasty, continuing for several hundred years. The distribution area of the kiln site is relatively large, covering approximately 10,000 square meters, with a thick cultural layer accumulation of 1 to 2 meters, and is relatively well-preserved. Multiple early kiln sites have also been discovered within 1 kilometer, indicating a thriving kiln industry in the surrounding area and making this one of the representative early kiln sites in the Fuliang region of Jingdezhen. The discovery of this kiln site has revised the academic view that “Jingdezhen’s porcelain industry began in the Five Dynasties period.”

The kiln site remains are quite rich, and the accumulations of porcelain clay material and the remnants of dragon kilns provide valuable physical evidence for the study of raw material processing techniques and ceramic firing methods during the Tang Dynasty in Jingdezhen.

Lan Tian Village: Historically, Lan Tian Village has been part of Xianghu Town, one of the “Four Famous Historic Streets” of Fuliang County. During the Tang Dynasty, the ancestors of Lan Tian built kilns against the mountains to produce celadon ware, while also producing tea in abundance. By the Song Dynasty, the area around Lan Tian Village flourished with “kiln fires in every village and pottery-making in every household.” In the early Ming Dynasty, the Li family migrated from Qi Men County, Anhui, and established the settlement, which was then called Li Jia. By the late Ming Dynasty, Li Jia Village had prospered significantly, with merchant ships frequently docking there, turning it into a bustling commercial port for goods distribution. As a result, it was renamed Li Jia Bu. Li Jia Bu is now the location of the current Lan Tian Village Committee. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the area belonged to Xia Yi He and Shang Chang Yuan under Shou An Township, Fuliang County… More details about Lan Tian Village ++

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Jiangxi Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units