Pingding Sand Pottery

Pingding Sand Pottery

　　The sand pottery produced in Pingding, Shanxi Province, features elegant shapes, smooth surfaces inside and out, thin walls, and lightweight construction.

　　There is a wide variety of Pingding sand pottery, including nearly a hundred types such as sand pots, sand jars, sand teapots, sand urns, sand basins, sand cages, sand dippers, and sand spoons. When used to cook millet porridge, the sand pot allows the water and grains to blend perfectly, resulting in a golden color and rich aroma; when used to stew meat, it eliminates any gamey or greasy smell; when used to cook tofu, it enhances the color and flavor; when used to decoct herbs, the medicinal properties remain unchanged; when used as a sprouting pot, it promotes fast growth without mold; when used in a steamer to make buns, it heats evenly and quickly; when used as a flowerpot, it provides good ventilation and prevents root rot. In addition, Pingding sand pottery is also valued for its affordability.

　　It is said that the production of sand pottery in Pingding began during the Tang Dynasty. By the Song Dynasty, the sand pottery from Pingding kilns was already well-known, as evidenced by a stone tablet in Qianniuzhen, north of Yangquan City. By the Ming Dynasty, the sand pottery from Pingding kilns could rival products from Yixing in Jiangsu, Dehua in Fujian, and Shiwan in Guangdong. Legend has it that during the Qing Dynasty, Emperor Kangxi, while ill, sent envoys specifically to Pingding to purchase sand teapots for decocting medicine and even bestowed upon them the name “Dragon Character Teapot.” This greatly enhanced the reputation of Pingding sand pottery. The “Dragon Character Teapot” became especially renowned as a miraculous tool for decocting medicine. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Pingding sand pottery was exhibited at the Beijing Light Industry Exhibition Hall and participated in the Canton Fair, being sold across the country and exported to Southeast Asian markets.

　　Pingding has favorable natural conditions for producing sand pottery. The area surrounding the county town is rich in high-purity, low-impurity, soft, and highly malleable bauxite and kaolin resources. It also has easily accessible, affordable anthracite coal suitable for firing sand pottery. The people of Pingding make full use of these material resources and the craftsmanship passed down through generations. Through processes such as soil selection, clay mixing, shaping, glazing, drying, kiln firing, and smoking, they produce various types of sand pottery that are free of sand holes, cracks, underfiring, or deformation. Today, areas such as Beizhuang, Changjiagou, Zhangzhuang, Dongxiaoma, Xinxiaoma, and Liushuyu in Pingding County are major production centers for sand pottery. The county produces approximately one million pieces of various types of sand pottery each year.