The Ancient Kiln Folk Customs Expo Zone in Jingdezhen is located in Changjiang District, Jingdezhen City, Jiangxi Province. It is a national 5A-level tourist scenic area and a major national cultural relic protection unit. The scenic area covers an area of 83 hectares and centrally showcases the thousand-year porcelain-making history of Jingdezhen and traditional handicraft porcelain-making techniques. In the expo zone, ancient kiln sites from the Ming and Qing dynasties, traditional porcelain-making workshops, and a ceramic museum are preserved, completely presenting the essence of Jingdezhen's ceramic culture, and it is known as a "living ceramic museum".
History and Culture
The Hutian Kiln site, where the Ancient Kiln Folk Customs Expo Zone in Jingdezhen is located, is one of the earliest birthplaces of the porcelain industry in Jingdezhen. It began to be fired in the Five Dynasties, thrived in the Song and Yuan dynasties, and reached its peak in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Exquisite porcelains such as blue and white porcelain and underglaze red porcelain, which were well-known worldwide, were once produced here and sold overseas through the Maritime Silk Road. The ancient kiln ruins and porcelain-making workshops preserved in the scenic area have witnessed the glorious history of Jingdezhen as the "Porcelain Capital".
During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Imperial Kiln Factory was established in Jingdezhen, specifically for firing porcelain for the royal family. The porcelain-making scenes of the Imperial Kiln Factory have been restored in the expo zone, demonstrating the strict management system and exquisite craftsmanship of ancient official kilns. This place is not only a place for ceramic production but also an important carrier of traditional Chinese arts and crafts.
The porcelain-making technique of Jingdezhen was included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage lists in 2006. Through the way of living inheritance, the expo zone allows tourists to feel the charm of this thousand-year-old technique up close and understand the profound cultural connotations behind ceramics.
Main Attractions
Ancient Porcelain-making Workshop
The ancient porcelain-making workshop completely preserves the scenes of 72 traditional handicraft porcelain-making processes, including raw material preparation, potter's wheel throwing, trimming, painting on the glazing, etc. Tourists can watch the on-site demonstrations of porcelain-making techniques by inheritors of intangible cultural heritage and understand the whole process of turning clay into a finished porcelain product. There is also an experience area in the workshop where tourists can personally try simple processes such as potter's wheel throwing.
Town Kiln of the Qing Dynasty
The town kiln of the Qing Dynasty is a unique type of kiln in Jingdezhen. It is also known as the "egg-shaped kiln" because of its shape resembling a duck egg. This re-fired town kiln is 18 meters long and 5.6 meters high, and it can fire 20,000 to 30,000 porcelain pieces at a time. The kiln structure is scientific and has high thermal efficiency, representing the highest level of ancient porcelain-making technology. The scenic area regularly holds re-firing activities to reproduce the ancient kiln-firing scenes.
Ceramic History Museum
The Ceramic History Museum has a collection of more than 3,000 pieces of various ceramic treasures from the Neolithic Age to modern times, systematically presenting the development history of Chinese ceramics. There is a special exhibition of Jingdezhen porcelain in the museum, showcasing the technological characteristics and artistic achievements of Jingdezhen porcelain in different dynasties, including famous varieties such as blue and white porcelain, famille rose porcelain, and colored glaze porcelain.
Ceramic Music Performance Area
The Ceramic Music Performance Area showcases various musical instruments made of ceramics, such as ceramic bowls, ceramic flutes, ceramic chime bells, etc. These instruments have unique timbres, and the music played is clear and melodious. The regularly held ceramic music performances every day allow tourists to feel the diverse charm of ceramic art while enjoying the wonderful music.
Ceramic Art Experience Center
The Ceramic Art Experience Center provides tourists with a comprehensive ceramic-making experience, with multiple experience areas such as potter's wheel throwing, colored painting, and sculpture. Under the guidance of professional teachers, tourists can create their own ceramic works, and after completion, they can be fired and taken home, which is a highly commemorative interactive project.
Delicacies
Soup Simmered in Porcelain Clay
Soup Simmered in Porcelain Clay is a special delicacy in Jingdezhen. The ingredients are put into a specially made ceramic pot, sealed with porcelain clay, and then simmered over a slow fire for several hours. This cooking method retains the original flavor of the ingredients, and the soup is delicious and rich, reflecting the perfect combination of ceramic culture and food culture.
Alkali Water Cake
Alkali Water Cake is a traditional snack in Jingdezhen, made by adding natural alkali water to rice paste. It has a chewy and elastic texture. It is usually sliced and stir-fried with green vegetables, cured meat, etc., with a unique flavor and is a daily delicacy for local people.
Cold Rice Noodles
The Cold Rice Noodles in Jingdezhen are made mainly of rice noodles and are seasoned with more than ten kinds of seasonings. They have a smooth and slippery taste, and the sour and spicy flavor is appetizing. Especially in summer, a bowl of cold and refreshing cold rice noodles is an excellent choice to relieve the heat and greasiness.
Surrounding Delicacies
There are also special delicacies in Jingdezhen urban area, such as Dumpling Cakes, Deep-fried Dough Sticks Wrapped with Glutinous Rice Balls, Braised Catfish with Rice Noodles, etc. While visiting the Ancient Kiln, you may as well go to the Zhonghua South Road Food Street in the urban area to taste the authentic Jingdezhen flavor.
Ticket Information
The ticket price for the Ancient Kiln Folk Customs Expo Zone in Jingdezhen is 95 yuan per person, including all regular exhibitions and performances. Students, the elderly, etc. can enjoy a 50% discount with valid certificates. The opening hours of the scenic area are from 8:00 to 17:30, and it is recommended to spend 3 to 4 hours visiting. Projects such as ceramic art experience need to be charged separately.
Itinerary Recommendations
The recommended tour route: After entering from the north gate of the scenic area, first visit the Ceramic History Museum to learn about the background knowledge; then visit the production areas such as the Ancient Porcelain-making Workshop and the Town Kiln of the Qing Dynasty in turn; at noon, taste special delicacies such as Soup Simmered in Porcelain Clay at the scenic area restaurant; in the afternoon, watch the ceramic music performance and participate in the ceramic art experience activities; finally, choose ceramic handicrafts in the souvenir shop. The whole journey takes about 4 to 5 hours.
Transportation
- By plane: Jingdezhen Luojia Airport is about 8 kilometers away from the scenic area, and it takes about 15 minutes by taxi.
- By high-speed rail: Take a high-speed rail to Jingdezhen North Station, and then it takes about 20 minutes by taxi to reach the scenic area.
- By bus: You can take buses No. 1, No. 3, No. 5, etc. in the urban area to reach the scenic area.
- Self-driving: The scenic area has a large parking lot, and parking is convenient.
Must-visit Attractions
- Ancient Porcelain-making Workshop: Watch the on-site demonstrations of traditional porcelain-making techniques by inheritors of intangible cultural heritage.
- Town Kiln of the Qing Dynasty: Learn about the unique egg-shaped kiln structure in Jingdezhen.
- Ceramic History Museum: Systematically study the development history of Chinese ceramics.
- Ceramic Music Performance: Enjoy the unique music played by ceramic musical instruments.
- Ceramic Art Experience Center: Make your own ceramic works with your own hands.
Tour Tips
- The best visiting seasons are spring and autumn, with pleasant weather.
- It is recommended to arrange half a day for an in-depth visit.
- Learn some basic knowledge of ceramics in advance for a more rewarding visit.
- Wear comfortable casual shoes, as the ground in some exhibition areas is uneven.
- It is recommended to make a reservation in advance if you want to participate in the ceramic art experience.
- When buying ceramic handicrafts, make sure to choose regular merchants.
Notes
- Protect cultural relics and historical sites, and do not touch the exhibits and ancient kiln sites.
- Keep an appropriate distance when watching the porcelain-making demonstrations.
- Follow the guidance of the staff when experiencing ceramic art.
- Smoking is prohibited in the scenic area.
- Take good care of personal belongings, especially fragile items.
- Pay attention to the secure packaging when buying ceramic products.