Apricot Blossom Pottery Kiln

Apricot Blossom Pottery Kiln

The Apricot Blossom Pottery Kiln is located on Changgangding Mountain in Xiaying Village, Xinghua Town, Fengkai County. It dates back to the Southern Dynasties period. In 1990, four oval-shaped dome kilns were excavated. The kiln pits were built along the mountain, with relatively close spacing between them—some as little as 1.5 meters apart. The kiln roofs have collapsed, and the remaining walls stand between 10 cm and 60 cm high, with a hard, 4–5 cm thick layer of red-fired earth formed by high-temperature firing. The kilns feature both firing chambers and fire pits. The firing chambers are rounded-cornered rectangles with sloped bottoms, inclined at angles between 17° and 23°. The rear walls are arched, and there is a circular flue with a diameter of 12 cm on the right side. The fire pits are semi-circular, situated 42–74 cm lower than the firing chambers, and connect to them with an arched interface and flat bottoms. The front ends of the fire pits have kiln doors, 34–66 cm wide, with short passageways 10–60 cm long just outside the doors. The kilns are 3.3 meters long. Artifacts unearthed include pottery items such as jars, cauldrons, pots, bowls, as well as supports and pedestals. Among these, the exteriors of cauldrons and bowls feature stamped square grid patterns.

Xiaying Village: The Xiaying Village Committee is located in the central part of Xinghua Town, Fengkai County, covering an area of approximately 15 square kilometers. It administers 12 villager groups, with a total population of 1,280 people, making it the village committee with the smallest population in Xinghua Town.

The Xiaying Village Committee is 3 kilometers away from the town government seat and enjoys relatively good geographical advantages. It is a poverty-stricken village, with collective economic annual net income of only 17,000 yuan, indicating weak collective economy. The main production activities in Xiaying are agricultural, focusing on crops such as peanuts and fruits (notably sugar oranges). Labor export is common, helping to increase farmers’ incomes. … More details about Xiaying Village ++