Ban changyu Kiln Cluster Site

Ban Changyu Kiln Cluster Site

The Ban Changyu Kiln Cluster Site is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Ban Changyu Village in Zhucaying Town, Funing County, Qinhuangdao City, Hebei Province, is an important section of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall kiln cluster near Shanhaiguan, known as the "First Pass Under Heaven." To the north of the village lies 3.5 kilometers of relatively well-preserved Ming Dynasty Great Wall atop rugged peaks.

This rare cluster of Ming Dynasty Great Wall brick kilns was discovered in the winter of 2002 through nearly two months of exploratory excavation led by cultural relics experts from Qinhuangdao City and carried out with the help of local villagers. The kilns are covered from top to bottom by three types of soil: cultivated topsoil, clay, and scorched earth. The kilns come in various forms, including dragon kilns, horseshoe-shaped kilns, and ox-horn tip kilns, with mouth diameters ranging from 3.5 to 6 meters. Most of them still contain large bricks that were fired at the time for constructing the Great Wall. These bricks measure 36 cm in length, 17 cm in width, 9 cm in thickness, and weigh around 10.5 kilograms each. Among them, 24 kilns are fully stacked with bricks, each containing about 20 layers and over 5,000 bricks. Experts believe these were spare brick kilns for the Great Wall and represent the earliest such kilns discovered in China to date. Alongside the Ming Dynasty Great Wall brick kiln cluster, 70 stone landmines, 5 stone cannons, 3 iron guns, 6 Ming Dynasty lime kilns, and more than 10 iron-smelting furnaces were also found. Additionally, a cave approximately 200 meters deep was discovered, from which over 50 kilograms of animal fossils have been excavated.

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Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Hebei Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units