Meihua Dun Pottery Kiln

Meihua Dun Pottery Kiln

The Meihua Dun Pottery Kiln is a cultural heritage site protected by Boluo County.

The Meihua Dun Pottery Kiln is situated on the east side of Tangjiao Village, Yuanzhou Town, Boluo County. Dating back to the Zhou Dynasty, the site includes five small earthen mounds. It was discovered in 1983, and more than 100 square meters were excavated in 1991. A dragon kiln was cleared, featuring a narrow front and wider rear, with earthen rammed walls. The surviving section is 14.5 meters long and 1.5 to 2.88 meters wide. The firebox is nearly elliptical, while the flue and firing chamber have a sloped design, though the tail section has been destroyed. Artifacts unearthed include pottery items such as jars, gui (a type of ritual vessel), basins, plates, cauldrons, as well as clay sculptures of cattle, sheep, deer, chickens, and birds. Pottery tools like pressing pestles and Kui-pattern molds were also found. The pottery is predominantly gray earthenware, with a small amount of red pottery and sand-tempered ware. Decorative patterns are mainly characterized by Kui designs, along with other motifs such as meandering patterns, thundercloud patterns, concentric circle patterns, diamond patterns, comb-stamped dots, wave patterns, and string patterns. Additionally, primitive porcelain dou (a type of vessel) were discovered, with a grayish-white body and hard texture. The Meihua Dun kiln site is currently the earliest dragon kiln discovered in Guangdong Province and serves as important material for studying the development of ceramic craftsmanship.

In 1992, the Boluo County People's Government designated it as a cultural heritage protection unit.