Jingxing Kiln Site

Jingxing Kiln Site

The Jingxing Kiln Site is a national key cultural relics protection unit.

A sign reading “Jingxing Kiln Dongguan Site” stands in front of the Tianchang Town Government building, and another sign labeled “Jingxing Kiln Chengguan Site” is located in the heart of the ancient city. These mark the site of the Jingxing Kiln—the fourth-largest porcelain kiln in Hebei and a national key cultural relics protection unit.

The Jingxing Kiln ruins span an area of two square kilometers, including parts of the ancient city, and date back over 1,400 years to various periods including the Sui, Tang, Song, Jin, and Yuan dynasties. After several excavations, the site was sealed off due to concerns that technical limitations might damage the ruins.

Although visitors can no longer witness the excitement of the excavations or see the exquisite unearthed artifacts firsthand, insights can still be gleaned from the accounts of Wu Tongting. In 1995, intact pieces with diverse patterns and exquisitely crafted printing molds were unearthed at the Jingxing Kiln. In 1998, another discovery included kiln workshops from the Tang, Five Dynasties, and Jin periods. In 1999, a Tang Dynasty lotus incense bowl, white-glazed double-fish four-handle flask, and a Jin Dynasty stamped deer-and-butterfly-patterned leaf-shaped pillow were found at the kiln site. In 2000, a workshop site of the Miao family kiln was excavated, providing significant material for the study of porcelain production during the Jin and Yuan periods. Also unearthed that year were stamped polychrome molds that sent shockwaves through China’s ceramics community, turning research on the Jingxing Kiln into a major event in the archaeological world at the turn of the century. The head of the Protection Department of the National Cultural Heritage Administration remarked, “The value of the Jingxing Kiln lies primarily in its integrity—handicraft workshops and kiln sites are connected as a single production unit. Such a complete and significant cluster of kiln sites is rare across the country.”

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Hebei Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units