分享縮略圖
 

Shanxi's millennium-old porcelain gets modern makeover

0 Comment(s)Print E-mail People's Daily Online, March 6, 2025
Adjust font size:

A millennium-old porcelain craft in north China's Shanxi Province has been pulled back from the brink of extinction and is now poised for a modern renaissance.

The techniques for making Honglyucai (Red and Green Color) Porcelain of the Bayi kiln, one of China's earliest producers of the distinctive porcelain, was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2021. The kiln is located in Bayi township, Shangdang district, Changzhi city of Shanxi.

Archaeological excavations reveal that during the Song Dynasty (960–1279) over 1,000 years ago, the kiln was the largest porcelain production hub in southeastern Shanxi. Porcelain from the kiln became the gold standard of Honglyucai porcelain in China.

Today, visitors to Honglyucai village, 2 kilometers from the Bayi kiln, can explore a Honglyucai porcelain museum housing over 600 ancient porcelain treasures from the kiln and over 10,000 modern pieces of Honglyucai porcelain.

Honglyucai porcelain features a signature white base and is adorned with vibrant red, green, and yellow designs depicting auspicious flowers, birds, and figures, according to Li Yamin, a municipal-level representative inheritor of the techniques for making Honglyucai porcelain of the Bayi kiln.

Li Yamin said more than 100 ancient kiln sites were unearthed in Shangdang district, which is nestled in the Taihang Mountains and characterized by rolling ridges and deep ravines, confirming that Bayi township was a thriving commercial hub as early as the Song Dynasty. The region boasts abundant high-quality kaolin, coal, and water resources essential for porcelain production.

"Red is one of the most iconic colors in Chinese culture, yet achieving a vibrant red glaze on porcelain was a significant challenge. It wasn't until the Song Dynasty when the Bayi kiln pioneered the use of iron-red pigment that Honglyucai porcelain products were successfully produced," Li Yamin noted.

But the road to revival wasn't exactly a cakewalk. The Honglyucai porcelain industry was in decline over the past decades due to high production costs and complex craftsmanship.

Li Yamin's father Li Jianping grew up hearing stories about Honglyucai porcelain. His grandfather was a kiln worker at the Bayi kiln, and from a young age, Li Jianping learned pottery and painting techniques. After high school, he worked as a farmer and miner, but always dreamed of reviving Bayi kiln porcelain.

In 2012, as part of an industrial transformation initiative, the local government launched a cultural heritage project for the Bayi kiln. Seeing an opportunity, Li Jianping decided to reignite the kiln fires and restore Honglyucai porcelain production.

To make a Honglyucai porcelain item, 72 procedures must be followed, including a twice-firing technique.

The procedures are so complicated that the techniques were lost for decades. Many people told Li Jianping not to waste his time, but he couldn't bear to see this ancient craft disappear.

Li Jianping collaborated with Honglyucai village to establish a company and construct a cultural expo center, the Honglyucai porcelain museum, and a production base of Honglyucai porcelain. Meanwhile, he visited local elderly artisans and technical experts to rebuild lost knowledge.

After years of trial and error, the techniques for making Honglyucai porcelain were recovered by Li Jianping, who became a provincial-level representative inheritor of the craft.

The father-son duo have adopted a strategy of integrating tradition with innovation to promote the development of Honglyucai porcelain. In recent years, they've inked partnerships with prestigious institutions like the Central Academy of Fine Arts and the Academy of Arts & Design under Tsinghua University to tackle everything from material research and color matching to painting skills and product design.

After years of dedicated efforts, the issues of rough bodies and dull colors of Honglyucai porcelain items were overcome. As a result, these items have gained greater popularity in the market.

"Thanks to our independently developed new materials that withstand temperatures above 1,300 degrees Celsius without warping, our everyday-use porcelain items are thinner, lighter and more lustrous than traditional ones and are easy to clean," said Li Yamin.

In recent years, local rural tourism has thrived thanks to measures including the establishment of organizations aiming at passing on the intangible cultural heritage. The Honglyucai porcelain museum receives over 10,000 tourist visits annually.

So far, the company has developed over 300 kinds of Honglyucai porcelain products, which have caught the eye of porcelain enthusiasts both at home and abroad, Li Yamin said.

Follow China.org.cn on Twitter and Facebook to join the conversation.
ChinaNews App Download
Print E-mail Bookmark and Share

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)

No comments.

Add your comments...

  • User Name Required
  • Your Comment
  • Enter the words you see:   
    Racist, abusive and off-topic comments may be removed by the moderator.
Send your storiesGet more from China.org.cnMobileRSSNewsletter
主站蜘蛛池模板: 欧美视频网站在线观看| 色哟哟网站在线观看| 在线免费观看中文字幕| 一级毛片在线完整观看| 日本三级韩国三级三级a级播放| 亚洲av无码片在线播放| 欧美日韩人妻精品一区二区三区| 亚洲视频网站在线观看| 秋霞免费手机理论视频在线观看| 四虎澳门永久8848在线影院| 中日韩欧美视频| 日韩电影免费在线观看网站| 亚洲国产片在线观看| 欧美精品在线视频| 亚洲精品美女久久久久9999| 男女后进式猛烈XX00动态图片| 国产小视频精品| 中文免费观看视频网站| 国产色在线观看| 99久久99久久精品免费观看| 天天摸天天操免费播放小视频| 久久精品亚洲精品国产色婷| 欧美6699在线视频免费| 亚洲日韩第一页| 波多野结衣www| 亚洲精品视频在线观看免费| 用被子自w到高c方法| 免费欧洲毛片**老妇女| 精品国产一区二区三区2021 | 中文字幕1区2区| 拨牐拨牐x8免费| 中文字幕第一页在线| 日本二区在线观看| 久久亚洲精品无码观看不卡| 日韩人妻无码精品一专区| 亚洲视频在线观看网站| 男人进去女人爽免费视频国产| 全免费一级毛片在线播放| 麻豆av一区二区三区| 国产成人无码AV一区二区| 成人免费视频69|