Porcelain’s glories shine on forever

In China’s porcelain capital of Jingdezhen, ceramics have been woven into the very fabric of the city for centuries. At its core, the Taoyangli historical and cultural district is a beacon of this storied past, a place where kiln fires once blazed through the night, and porcelain was made every day.

This area, comprising the remnants of the Imperial Kiln Factory, the kilns of the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, and old workshops used by ceramic artisans, is a testament to Jingdezhen’s illustrious heritage.

“The Taoyangli district as a whole is an open and living museum,” says Weng Yanjun, director of the Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Institute. “When visitors come here they can see what life was like hundreds of years ago: potters living and making porcelain, and traders from all over the country who shipped their goods worldwide.”

The institute consists of a ceramic archaeology research institute and a kiln museum built on the site of Ming Dynasty imperial kilns. They were once used to produce the finest blue-and-white ceramics for imperial courts.

Over the past millennium Jingdezhen has developed a rich history and is a rare example of a Chinese city dedicated exclusively to the ceramics industry, Weng says. Numerous kinds of porcelain products were discovered at the Imperial Kiln Factory, now the kiln museum, and are on display, giving visitors a glimpse into the area’s bustling past.

“I grew up here and I’ve seen how the district has been restored to its former state,” Weng says.

The restoration of Taoyangli began more than 10 years ago when the late Ming Dynasty Xujia Kiln was repaired. It is the largest wood-fired kiln still in existence and was used to produce household porcelain.

In 2012 Yu Xilai, former Party secretary of the Jingdezhen Jianguo Porcelain Factory, received a call asking him to help repair the Xujia Kiln, which had been abandoned years earlier.

Yu began working at the kiln when he was 20, following in his father’s footsteps. In those days the kiln was used by the Jingdezhen Jianguo Porcelain Factory to produce ceramics for export.

Yu, 68, says that when he saw the crumbling bricks and walls of the old kiln he was determined to do everything he could to restore it.

“Many former artisans were really excited when they heard about the restoration plan for the kiln. They volunteered to come back and help out. A lot of them were quite old then, some even in their 80s.”

Reviving this huge kiln, 55 feet long and 16 feet high, was no simple task.

Those involved searched for wooden beams from other dismantled or abandoned workshops, eager to be faithful to the kiln’s original appearance. Nearly 150,000 bricks were used, and it took the artisans three months to piece together the arched surface brick by brick. In 2016 the project was completed, and the Xujia Kiln was once again fired up after years of inactivity.

To help contemporary audiences appreciate ceramics he has invited experienced inheritors of the intangible cultural heritage to display their skills at a workshop next to the Xujia Kiln. Each inheritor has a couple of young apprentices who learn from them as they work.