Citizens examine a gigantic ceramic Nine-Dragon Vase on May 2.

The world largest ceramic Nine-Dragon Vase was completed in Zichuan District, Zibo City of Shandong Province on May 2. The vase is 6.5m tall and has a maximum diameter of 2.7m and a weight of 7.8tn. For this piece of work, artist Niu Jiwei particularly designed a Zizhou Kiln which could be the world’s largest of its kind. Adopting traditional pottery-making techniques, the work took 16 months and 32tns of clay.

The vase body is bestrewed with suspicious clouds through which nine different-shaped dragons intertwine. The dragon-head relief height even reaches 0.3m. The base section of the dragon vase is decorated with wave lines symbolizing fortune. In Chinese, the 瓶（vase）shares the same pronunciation with 平 which means security and unity.

Using a unique Zibo half-apparent glaze, the ocean-blue glaze, with repeated experiments and glazing, the entire vase body looks stunning. This piece of work is heated to 1280 degrees Celsius.