Hongshan Kiln Site

Hongshan Kiln Site

The Hongshan Kiln Site is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Hongshan Kiln Site

Hongshan Kiln Site (6th Batch of National Heritage)

Era: Song to Qing Dynasties

Address: Around Hongshan and Mogou Villages, Hongshan Town, east of Jiexiu City

An ancient porcelain kiln. Located in Hongshan Town, Jiexiu, Shanxi, hence the name. Also known as “Jiexiu Kiln.” First fired in the early Song Dynasty, it continued through the Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, with a porcelain-firing history spanning a thousand years—rare among northern kilns. In the Song Dynasty, the varieties of porcelain produced were relatively rich. In addition to white-glazed porcelain, there were also black-glazed and brown-underglaze white-glazed porcelains. Decorative techniques included stamping, incising, carving, underglaze painting, and openwork. Most of the white-glazed stamped porcelains were influenced by the Ding Kiln, featuring complete decorative layouts and clear lines, but without emphasis on symmetry. Brown-glazed plates, bowls, and basins also made extensive use of stamped decoration, with plate and basin designs depicting children playing on boats—a unique feature of the Jiexiu Kiln. The Jiexiu Kiln was also influenced by the Cizhou Kiln, producing white-glazed incised, carved, black-underglaze incised, brown-underglaze, and brown-underglaze white-glazed wares. There was also a type of red-flower-on-white ware with exceptionally beautiful colors, considered the finest work of the Jiexiu Kiln. With a long history, Hongshan Kiln was a famous northern kiln, and its porcelain was pure white, rich, and smooth, belonging to the Ding white porcelain series. When the five great kilns were officially designated in the early Northern Song Dynasty, Hongshan was still within the territory of the Northern Han, thus missing a chance for greater fame—a matter for regret. The solemnity, dignity, nobility, and elegance of Hongshan porcelain were all thanks to the crystal-clear, pure, and limpid waters of the Hongshan Spring, as is widely acknowledged. It is listed as part of the 6th Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

The site centers around Hanzhaigou, with numerous porcelain fragments and thick layers of kiln furniture accumulations distributed along the terrain, forming a distribution area approximately 250 meters east-west and 100 meters north-south, covering a total area of 25,000 square meters. Ancient kiln sites have been found in Hanzhaigou, Ciyaogou, Longwanggou, Liuliyaocun, and Caipigou in Hongshan Town. The kiln site was first established in the early Northern Song Dynasty, flourished during the Jin and Yuan periods, and declined in the Ming and Qing dynasties. The Hongshan Kiln produced a wide variety of items, including fine white porcelain, coarse white porcelain, black-glazed porcelain, yellow-glazed porcelain, fire-glazed porcelain, and blue-glazed porcelain, with a larger output of fine-bodied white porcelain. The Hongshan Kiln Site is a relatively long-lasting and well-preserved site that provides important data for studying the origin, development, and prosperity of ancient ceramic industries in Shanxi.

Further Reading:

· 6th Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units