Jiaocun Ding Kiln Ruins

Jiaocun Ding Kiln Ruins

The Jiaocun Ding Kiln Ruins are a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Jiaocun Ding Kiln Ruins are located in Jiaocun Village, Quyang County, Hebei Province.

The Jiaocun Ding Kiln Ruins were an important kiln site during the Song Dynasty. During that period, Quyang was under the administration of Dingzhou, which is why it was called the "Ding Kiln." In 1951, the Palace Museum first discovered the site, and between 1960 and 1962, the Hebei Provincial Cultural Relics Team carried out large-scale archaeological excavations. These confirmed that the kiln site originated in the late Tang Dynasty, flourished during the Northern Song Dynasty, and gradually declined after the Yuan Dynasty.

The Ding Kiln became world-famous for its white porcelain, mostly produced in the form of bowls and plates. The porcelain body was fine and delicate, with a smooth glaze that had a slightly bluish, yellowish, or grayish tint. The rims of the vessels were unglazed due to the inverted firing technique. At that time, the artisans had already mastered the inverted firing method, which significantly increased production. The inner walls of the vessels were often decorated with intricate patterns using techniques such as stamping, carving, and incising. The designs were richly detailed, well-structured, and commonly featured themes of flowers and animals. During the Northern Song Dynasty, the site became one of the most important kilns in northern China, producing a large quantity of exquisite ceramics for the imperial court and government offices.

Many fragments of porcelain inscribed with characters such as “Official,” “Imperial Cuisine Bureau,” “Imperial Pharmacy Bureau,” and “Prince of Wu’s Mansion” were also unearthed at the site. Ceramics made for the imperial court were often adorned with dragon and phoenix motifs and demonstrated extremely refined craftsmanship. In addition, a small number of black-glazed, brown-glazed, and green-glazed porcelain fragments—referred to in historical texts as “Black Ding,” “Purple Ding,” and “Green Ding”—were found at the kiln site.

During the Song Dynasty, the Jiaocun Ding Kiln was a major ceramic production center in northern China and had a profound influence on the development of ceramic technology across various regions. Kilns in Hebei, Shanxi, and even southern provinces began to imitate its methods, eventually forming the Ding Kiln system centered around this site. Ding Kiln system kilns have been discovered in places such as Lincheng in Hebei, Longquanwu in Beijing, and Pingding, Jiexiu, Changzhi, Taiyuan, Yuci, Heyang, Mengxian, Jiaocheng, Yangcheng, and Huoxian in Shanxi. In the southern regions, similar kilns were found in Jingdezhen and Ji’an. Furthermore, kilns using the inverted firing technique to produce celadon-white porcelain have been widely discovered in Zhejiang, Fujian, Hubei, and Hunan provinces. (Source: National Cultural Heritage Administration)

Admission Fee

20 RMB per person

Opening Hours

08:00–17:00

Location

Jiaocun Village, Quyang County, Baoding City, Hebei Province (0.1 meters north)

Further Reading:

· Second Batch of Hebei Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Third Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units