Sui and Tang Dynasties Kiln Site Museum: Celadon by the Jinjiang River

The Sui and Tang Dynasties Kiln Site Museum is located at the Qingyang Palace Kiln Site near Qingyang Palace. The kiln was first built during the Eastern Jin and Southern Dynasties, and is the earliest celadon kiln site discovered in the Chengdu Plain. The kiln site was discovered in 1954, and after several excavations, a large number of relics and artifacts were unearthed. Since its heyday was during the Sui and Tang Dynasties, it was named the Sui and Tang Dynasties Kiln Site. Walking through the gate, you will find a small courtyard. The courtyard is full of ancient trees, especially several tall ginkgo trees, which are covered in golden leaves and are the most eye-catching. The ancient kiln sites are scattered among the trees, with pavilions built on top of them for protection, including Qin and Han kilns and Sui and Tang kilns, in the form of mantou kilns and dragon kilns. On the north side of the courtyard, there is an exhibition hall with two floors of exhibition halls, with the theme: Ceramics by the Jinjiang River. The exhibition hall is not large, mainly consisting of two exhibition halls downstairs and one upstairs, introducing the development of the ceramic industry in Chengdu and Sichuan. Ceramics include two different products, pottery and porcelain. Pottery is made from clay, and people mastered this skill as early as ancient times. During this period, bronze and lacquerware also occupied people's living space. Porcelain requires special porcelain clay and higher temperatures to be fired. It is stronger and more beautiful than pottery. With long-term accumulation and development, celadon production reached an unprecedented prosperity during the Tang and Song Dynasties. Whether it was daily necessities or decorative items, celadon became the most commonly used porcelain. Sichuan's celadon kilns are centered in the Chengdu Plain, and are distributed in Chengdu, Dujiangyan, Qionglai, Leshan, and other areas. According to archaeological research, the firing of Qingyang Palace kiln porcelain began in the Western Jin Dynasty and declined in the late Tang and Five Dynasties. Its products are primitive in shape, with green and brown glazes being the most common, and the body is mostly gray-white, with a high firing temperature, making it a representative of early celadon in Sichuan. Around the Western Jin to Southern and Northern Dynasties, the Qingyang Palace kiln began porcelain production, and is the earliest existing celadon kiln site in the Chengdu Plain. Its products were deeply influenced by celadon production in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, and are very similar to the wares of the Hongzhou and Yuezhou kilns. Since then, celadon has gradually replaced pottery, wood, lacquer, and copper products, becoming people's daily necessities. After the Sui Dynasty, the production of the Qingyang Palace kiln became more prosperous, and its craftsmanship level also improved day by day. Its products were deeply loved by the local people, and by the Tang Dynasty, its products had become the most commonly used items for Chengdu people. The kilns of Qingyang Palace are mainly of two types: dragon kilns and mantou kilns. Its products are eclectic, forming a simple and unique style, with simple techniques, mainly including underglaze painting, carved patterns, stamped patterns, molded patterns, and appliqué.