Dagan Mountain Kiln Site (Tang Dynasty Dragon Kiln Relic)

Dagan Mountain Kiln Site (Tang Dynasty Dragon Kiln Relic)

The Dagan Mountain Kiln Site (Tang Dynasty Dragon Kiln Relic) is a Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit and a patriotic education base.

The Dagan Mountain Kiln Site (Tang Dynasty Dragon Kiln Relic) is located within Linggui Park in the scenic area "Xijiang Gallery" (No. 283 Yanjiang Road, Hecheng Subdistrict), which is easily accessible and features a serene environment. All buses in the area can take you to Linggui Park Station. The kiln site is closed on Mondays and is open to the public free of charge on other days, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM. Contact number: 0757—88883320.

Tang Dynasty Dragon Kiln Relic

Tang Dynasty Dragon Kiln Relic

The kiln site was discovered during a cultural relics survey in 1957. At that time, the Southern Daily News reported on it with the headline “Guangdong’s earliest discovered ancient kiln site is in Gaoming County.”

In 1986, under the guidance of the Provincial Museum, No. 1 Kiln was excavated and cleared. The front and rear sections of the kiln had been damaged due to road construction and earth excavation, and the kiln roof had collapsed. The remaining part of the kiln is 9.55 meters long, 2.64 meters wide at the front, and 2.8 meters wide at the rear, inclined at 25° along the mountain slope. On the kiln bed, one can see circular pits formed by high temperatures, with nearly a hundred pottery artifacts remaining inside. About 20 meters outside the kiln bed, beneath the soil layer, there were nearly a thousand discarded pottery items including bowls, dishes, plates, jars, four-eared pots, six-eared pots, cauldrons, three-legged vessels, ear cups, and inkstones. The pottery was mainly glazed in bluish-green, with some coated in dark brown glaze. The bottoms of bowls and dishes often retained clay pads and firing supports, and the feet were mostly disc-shaped or false ring-footed. Currently, No. 1 Kiln is preserved under sand and soil in its original state.

In 1987, archaeological experts from the Provincial Museum and local cultural relics workers excavated and cleared No. 2 Kiln. Its length, width, inclination, and unearthed pottery were similar to those of No. 1 Kiln but were more intact, preserving a rectangular combustion chamber and the lower two sets of ventilation openings built with bricks at the kiln entrance. In 1988, a total of 170,000 yuan was allocated by provincial, municipal, and county authorities to build a 288-square-meter exhibition hall over No. 2 Kiln, which was then opened to the public.

The two Tang Dynasty dragon kilns have structures roughly similar to those of Song Dynasty dragon kilns, though they are less advanced. The kiln bed inclinations are also less optimal than the 18°–22° found in Song Dynasty kilns. The discovery of the Dagan Mountain Kiln Site provides reliable physical evidence for studying the transition from Tang Dynasty to Song Dynasty kilns and exploring the history of ceramic development in Guangdong.

In June 1989, it was designated as a Provincial Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit. In March 1995, it was announced as one of the first batch of patriotic education bases in Gaoming County. In December 1997, it was listed as one of the second batch of patriotic education bases in Foshan City.

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units