Zhen Kiln

Zhen Kiln

Zhen Kiln is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Zhen Kiln

Egg-shaped porcelain kiln. First created in Jingdezhen during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, its full name is Jingdezhen Kiln, abbreviated as Zhen Kiln. Historically, the main fuel used for firing in Jingdezhen was pine wood, hence it is also known as the Wood-Fired Kiln.

In the late Qing dynasty, there were over a hundred Zhen Kilns in Jingdezhen. The existing one was built in the early years of Emperor Qianlong’s reign during the Qing dynasty. The kiln is eighteen meters long, with a volume of nearly 300 cubic meters, and the kiln site covers an area of about 800 square meters. The structure, proportions, building materials, and craftsmanship of this Qing-era ancient kiln represent the highest level of traditional Chinese porcelain kiln construction techniques. Different parts of the Zhen Kiln have varying temperatures, allowing dozens of types of ceramics—both high-fire and low-fire—to be fired simultaneously. It once produced numerous batches of exquisite ceramics for the Qing imperial family and the general public.

In the mid-1990s, due to a shortage of traditional clay blanks, the Zhen Kiln was reduced in size by one-third. Eventually, due to disproportionate dimensions, several attempts to fire ceramics ended in failure. The last firing took place in 1995, and for over a decade afterward, no normal firings occurred. Cracks appeared in the kiln body, and the kiln shed suffered from termite damage. To effectively protect the ancient Zhen Kiln and traditional craftsmanship during production, and to ensure the continuation of Zhen Kiln construction and firing techniques, on October 19, 2009, Jingdezhen held a ceremony to relight the Qing-era Zhen Kiln, with collector Ma Weidu igniting the kiln fire.

During this Zhen Kiln relighting, nearly 20,000 pieces of ceramics—both large and small—were fired, most of them created by veteran traditional ceramic artisans and master craft artists. The firing fully employed traditional techniques without the use of any instruments and utilized traditional fuel. The firing process consumed over 40 tons of pine wood, lasted approximately 30 hours, followed by one day and one night of cooling before the kiln could be opened. Going forward, the Qing-era Zhen Kiln will be fired twice a year, allowing the few remaining master craftsmen skilled in pillar-setting, blank-carrying, and shelf-building to pass on their expertise through mentorship, ensuring that the ancient wood-fired kiln techniques are passed down to future generations.

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units