Yixing Ceramics Museum

Yixing Ceramics Museum

The Yixing Ceramics Museum is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

The China Yixing Ceramics Museum is located on Dingshan North Road in Yixing City. It is the first specialized ceramics museum established in China. Its predecessors were the exhibition hall of Jiangsu Yixing Ceramics Company and the Yixing Ceramics Exhibition Hall, boasting a history of nearly fifty years. The museum complex spans over 20,000 square meters, with exhibition areas covering more than 3,000 square meters. It is currently one of China’s larger-scale and more influential ceramics museums, enjoying high renown both at home and abroad.

Yixing’s long history of pottery-making and its splendid ceramic culture are fully reflected through the collections from various historical periods housed here. Over the long span of more than 7,000 years—from the mid-Neolithic Age to the present—ceramics have been a source of pride for Yixing, a living ode. Countless skilled artisans have created exquisite works of art. Pottery from the Han Dynasty, celadon from the Two Jin Dynasties, Jun pottery and Ming-Qing-era purple clay ware, as well as contemporary colored glaze pottery, art pottery, and fine pottery, all showcase Yixing’s charm and underscore its status as the “Pottery Capital.” Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, it has always served as Yixing’s “window” to the outside world and its “business card” to the globe.

The museum’s collections systematically reflect the developmental trajectory of Yixing ceramics. A variety of pottery pieces of significant academic value are precious historical heritages. The 8,000-plus pieces of ceramic products on permanent display showcase the brilliant ceramics culture and masterful craftsmanship of Yixing today. The museum is divided into sixteen exhibition halls, including Ancient Pottery, Celebrity Masterpieces, Purple Clay, Fine Pottery, Colorful Glazed Pottery, Jun Pottery, Celadon, Industrial & Sanitary Pottery, World Ceramics, and Chinese Ceramics. In the Ancient Pottery Hall, artifacts unearthed within the city are displayed by period, mainly featuring hard stamped pottery from the Han Dynasty, celadon from the Two Jin Dynasties, purple clay from the Song Dynasty, and mound-decorated pottery from the Ming and Qing Dynasties—ancient treasures that reveal the ingenuity of early potters. Among them, the Qing Dynasty purple clay artifact “Black-glazed Bottle with Hui Patterns,” a national first-class relic, is an exceptional treasure. The Celebrity Masterpieces Hall, which houses rare works by artists, along with the exhibition halls known as the “Five Golden Flowers”—Purple Clay, Jun Pottery, Celadon, Fine Pottery, and Art Pottery—transport visitors into an ocean of ceramic artistry. The rustic purple clay, dignified Jun pottery, elegant celadon, vibrant fine pottery, and uniquely charming art pottery compete in beauty and splendor.

Over the years, the China Yixing Ceramics Museum has actively fulfilled its roles in exhibition, dissemination, preservation, and research. It has hosted numerous large-scale events both domestically and internationally and received countless distinguished domestic and foreign guests. As an important cultural hub of Yixing, it is currently a four-tier patriotic education base designated by Jiangsu Province, Wuxi City, Yixing City, and Dingshu Town. It is bound to play an even greater role in social development and historical progress.

Address: No. 150, Dingshan North Road, Dingshu Town, Yixing City, Wuxi

Type: Museum

Rating: AAAA

Recommended visiting time: 1–2 hours

Phone: 0510-87188255; 0510-87188321

Official website: http://www.yxtcbwg.com

Opening hours:

8:00–17:00 (ticket sales stop at 16:30)

Dingshu Town: Located in Yixing City, Jiangsu Province, Dingshu Town lies within the Yangtze River Delta Economic Development Zone. It borders Taihu Lake to the east and the foothills of the Tianmu Mountains to the west, covering an area of 73 square kilometers with a population of 140,000. It is part of Yixing’s urban area. In 2000, Jiangsu Province designated Yixing as “China’s renowned Pottery Capital, an important industrial tourism city in Jiangsu Province, and a comprehensive commercial service hub for the border region of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui.”

Dingshu Town is embraced by mountains and water, boasts beautiful scenery and rich cultural heritage, and is an important part of the renowned Yangxian Scenic Area, making it one of the scenic destinations in southern Jiangnan.

Dingshu Town is famous for its abundant production of pottery... More details about Dingshu Town++

Further reading:

· National Second-Class Museum of China