Yanhedian Kiln Site

Yanhedian Kiln Site

The Yanhedian Kiln Site is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Yanhedian Kiln Site is located in Yanhedian Village, Mangchuan Town, Ruzhou City, Henan Province. It is distributed along the west and north banks of the Mangchuan River, covering an area approximately 475 meters east-west and 555 meters north-south, with a total area of about 263,625 square meters. The kiln site began production in the early Northern Song Dynasty, flourished in the late Northern Song Dynasty, and continued to operate during the Yuan Dynasty. In 1950, 1956, 1958, and 1964, national experts in ancient ceramics—Chen Wanli, Feng Xianming, and Ye Zhemin—conducted multiple surveys at the Yanhedian Kiln Site. In 1985 and 1989, the Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology and Peking University carried out two archaeological excavations at the site. They discovered that the cultural layers at the kiln site were 2–2.5 meters thick, with abundant relics and remains. Among the findings were porcelain kilns, clarification pools, and ash pits.

The celadon ware produced at the Yanhedian Kiln features dignified and elegant designs, simple yet classic in style. Common shapes include rain hat bowls, open bowls, powder boxes, melon-ribbed jars, lamps, and cups. The body is made from incense-gray clay that is dense and solid, with a layer of brownish protective glaze applied between the body and the outer glaze. The surface is dotted with tiny speckles resembling the skin of a crisp pear. The glaze displays fine, crisscrossing lines, as if left by the passage of a crab. Some glazes feature delicate, regular ice crack patterns forming sesame flower motifs—this is the prized “pear-skin, crab-claw, sesame-flower” effect. The clay used at the kiln is fine and smooth, the body firm like copper, and the glaze thick and lustrous, transparent to the base. Hence it has been praised as having “juicy sheen, piled glaze as smooth as fat, moisture-heavy as if about to drip, with thick glaze that resonates like a chime stone, brilliant without being harsh.” The underglaze decorations include carving, incising, and stamping, mostly featuring floral motifs, swimming fish in the sea, and birds.

The Yanhedian Kiln was a large-scale production site with relatively advanced ceramic craftsmanship during the Northern Song Dynasty. Its exceptional firing techniques laid a solid foundation for the birth of the five great kilns of the Northern Song—Ru Kiln and the Northern Song Official Kiln. Especially significant was the discovery of Song Dynasty porcelain kilns, which marked a major breakthrough in the history of Chinese ceramics. These findings gave us greater insight into kiln structures, firing techniques, production processes, and their distinctive characteristics.

On March 5, 2013, it was designated as part of the seventh group of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units by the State Council.

Yanhedian Village: Yanhedian Village... More detailed information about Yanhedian Village++

Further Reading:

· First Group of Henan Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Seventh Group of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units