Wuxi's loong-shaped kiln earns national recognition

A bird's-eye view of the Qianshu Loong Kiln in Yixing. [Photo/WeChat account: yixingfabu2015]

The Qianshu Loong Kiln in Yixing, a county-level city in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, has recently been designated as one of the latest batch of national industrial heritage sites by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

It stands out as the only industrial heritage project from Jiangsu to achieve this distinction.

The Qianshu Loong Kiln, representing a "living specimen" of Yixing pottery in Dingshu town, dates from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). It is among the only two remaining Ming Dynasty loong kilns in China and is the only one still in active use.

The loong-shaped kiln is aligned north to south and divided into three sections: the head, body, and tail. Measuring 43.4 meters long, it uses traditional wood-firing methods to create everyday coarse pottery, with each firing able to hold more than 7,000 pottery pieces.

In recent years, Dingshu has established a comprehensive protection system that extends beyond maintaining the kiln structure to include the surrounding area.

Opposite the loong kiln, a 700-square-meter exhibition hall displays a diverse selection of pottery, illustrating the history of wood-firing culture. The area around the kiln is lined with buildings featuring white walls and black tiles, typical of Jiangnan architecture, enhancing the kiln's historic appeal. Riverside landscape features and nighttime lighting incorporate loong kiln motifs, adding a cultural touch to every part of the scene.

To develop the loong kiln's cultural brand, Dingshu has fostered a mutually beneficial relationship between the preservation of pottery culture and the cultural tourism industry. The International Wood-Firing Art Festival has been held in the town for several years, providing villagers with various income sources and inviting international artists for cultural exchanges.

Furthermore, integrating loong kiln culture with traditional festivals like Chinese New Year, the Dragon Boat Festival, and the Mid-Autumn Festival has created unique cultural tourism brands, such as Celebrating Chinese New Year at the Loong Kiln.