Rucheng Kiln Site

Rucheng Kiln Site

The Rucheng Kiln Site is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Hunan Province.

The Rucheng Kiln was located in Rucheng County, Hunan Province, where porcelain was produced during the Song and Yuan dynasties. The kiln site is situated on the northwestern bank of the Ou River in Nushui Township, about 18 kilometers from Rucheng, in areas such as Triangle Garden and Renqiantou villages in Xiajiang, and Fangyuanjiao in Shangjiang. Pottery production is estimated to have taken place from the early Northern Song Dynasty to the mid-Yuan Dynasty. The main type was celadon-glazed porcelain, with glaze colors tending toward black, lying somewhere between green and brown. Features: the body is fine and delicate, with a grayish-white tone.

Vessel shapes include bowls, jars, pots, ewers, and bowls. The body is fine and delicate, with a grayish-white tone. The glaze color lies between green and brown. Most pieces were fired using spacers stacked in layers, with a small number using bead supports. Three to five firing marks can often be found at the center of the bowl bases. The bowls have round mouths, some decorated with lotus petal patterns on the exterior. Most bowls are imprinted inside with characters such as “Yuanquan,” “Tai,” “Ji,” “Quan,” “Jinyu,” “Fo,” “Wen,” “Zhai,” “Song,” “Da,” “Daji,” “Cao,” “Longjing,” “Chengdian,” and “Niu,” and firing marks are commonly visible. Some vessel types closely resemble Longquan ware. Some inscriptions resemble Phags-pa script, while others are irregular and difficult to identify.

Nushui Town: Nushui Town and Tianzhuang Township have been merged to form Nushui Town.

A town under the jurisdiction of Rucheng County. In 1949, it was part of District 4; in 1956, Nushui Township was established; in 1958, it was placed under Tianzhuang Commune; in 1961, it became Nushui Commune; in 1984, it reverted to township status; and in 1995, it was upgraded to a town. Located in the northern part of the county, it is 13 kilometers from the county seat, covers an area of 81 square kilometers, and has a population of 12,000. The town government is located in Aishui Market. National Highway 106 passes through here. It administers 10 village committees—Luquan, Quanyuan, Shuangxi, Baigou, Caojia, Beishui, Dongcun, Shuanglian, Xiangtou, and Jiangbu—and the Nushui Neighborhood Committee. The area has geothermal resources and hydropower... More detailed information about Nushui Town++

Further Reading:

· Ninth Batch of Hunan Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units